Never Give In
by TheKyttin13
Summary: Lilly's not doing so hot in school and she feels like the world is out to get her. So why is it that Miley, one of the most popular and intelligent girls at the school, is so keen to help her get back on her feet? Slightly AU, eventual Liley.
1. Just Another Day

**_A/N: Kyttin here. New story for you guys. This story is slightly AU and doesn't focus on the Hannah side of things. This story is mostly going to be Lilly-oriented. It is an eventual Liley, but I hope to take my sweet time getting there. ;)_**

**_For those who are reading The Angel Of Death, I owe you another chapter soon. I just needed to start this story. For the curious wonderers, this story is actually kinda based on life right now in my house. Lilly is similar to the way my brother is, including the uhm...birth problem, as explained partway through this chapter. Next chapter will be Thursday evening, and then Chapter 3 will be Saturday, where Miley will make her first appearance. _**

**_Without further ado, I present to you...Never Give In_**

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Chapter 1: Just Another Day

"Truscott, are you paying any attention to what I'm saying?"

The blonde locks shifted irritably as she half-opened her eyes in the harsh light of the classroom. She lifted her head slowly, noting the crick in her neck, and gazed blearily at the teacher.

"Yes, ma'am," she mumbled sleepily.

"Then perhaps you can answer the question?"

She blinked twice. How the hell would she know the answer to the question? She didn't even know what the question was. Even though it was Geometry class and it was nearing the end of the school day, the time of day when she should have been wide-awake, she felt nothing short of lethargic.

"Er...can I hear the question again?"

The teacher sighed. The woman wasn't a mean lady, she just had a very low tolerance for those who failed to pay attention in class. Even if her policy was that those who wanted grades would work for them, she demanded respect of her students and both the lady and the blonde sophomore knew that she hadn't been giving any of her classes her all.

"Alright, Truscott. The question was, what is the difference between complementary and supplementary angles?"

Her mind went blank. Angles? Compliment? Supplement? What the hell was this lady talking about? Still, she cleared her throat, waking up only a little bit more.

"Erm...a complimentary angle is one that looks nice?"

The whole class burst into laughter. She felt her cheeks go pink. It wasn't that she didn't want to do the work and learn, it was just that she didn't get it and felt like the teachers always singled her out to pick on, to make her feel stupid. She could feel her crestfallen face gazing at the reproachful teacher.

"Truscott, see me after class. A complementary set of angles is one that adds up to ninety degrees. A supplementary set of angles adds up to one-hundred-eighty degrees. Make a note of that, class; it will be on the next test."

The blonde gazed sadly at her notebook, her slightly untidy scrawl just barely legible; it was both small and compact but mirrored more of a scribble than actual writing. She struggled to read her own notes, only to find that she couldn't. She sighed pitifully, quietly, head hanging in shame. She hated everyone in the class, everyone in the school that she didn't hang out with. It was such torture for her to have to go to school every day. The only reason she did it was to please her mother, but even that wasn't enough. Nothing ever seemed to please the blonde bitch.

The bell rang. She did not move from her seat, waiting patiently; it was her last class of the day, after all. Soon, the sound of students outside dwindled down and she felt more than heard the teacher sidle up beside her.

"Lilly, what am I going to do with you? We're almost halfway through this year and you've only just barely passed half your tests."

"I'm fine," she grumbled, struggling to keep her face empty of emotion. Her hands twisted into a knot between her knees as she sat at her desk, waiting for a punishment.

"Lilly, I want to help you. I don't want to see you fail. You're a very bright, very quirky child and you should do better. I can help you, Lilly."

"I don't need help," she said quietly. The teacher sighed.

"Well, if you won't ask for help, there's not much I can do."

"Damn right," she muttered.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing."

Lilly failed to notice the skepticism on the teacher's face.

"Alright, Lilly. I can see that my time has been wasted here. I don't want to see you fail, but only you have the power to change that. If you do decide that you need help, I'm here. If I'm not, there's always the TA to help you. She's very kind and passed this class in junior high, so she knows her stuff."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Lilly stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder, the skateboard that had once leaned against the wall held tightly in her hand by the front axle truck. It was a beat-up skateboard, nearly five years old, but it was one of Lilly's most prized possessions. She wouldn't trade it for the world and was constantly trying to scrounge up money for new wheels or bearings. It got her everywhere she needed to go, and it was the only thing she could rely on since she'd lost confidence in her own abilities as a person and a student during her freshman year in high-school.

She strode out the door and down the hall, kicking the door that led to the quad open in her haste and anger. Her first stop was her locker, where she checked on her books and tried to remember her homework.

_English...maybe some reading. I can't remember. Fuck it. Next up, PE...nothing in PE, it's so boring. Then there's history...I hate that class. I think there's a report due soon...fuck it. Science...fuck that. Health class...I haven't learned shit in there. And then math. Fuck that, bitch. I'm not gonna do your bullshit after-class work just because you can't say everything in class._

She slammed the door to her locker shut, slinging the nearly-empty backpack over her shoulder as she carried her skateboard out to the front. Without warning, an arm landed on her shoulder and she started.

"Hey, Lilly-pop."

"Ollie-pop!" she returned, grinning. "How was your day?"

"Same shit, different day. You?"

"Ditto. What's up?"

"Well, the guys are thinking about heading out surfing tomorrow morning, since it's a Wednesday and it's late-start. You wanna come?"

"Oliver...I'd love to, but I can't."

He looked confused, his dark brown hair rippling in the gentle breeze, his lean figure looking totally relaxed as he fell in-step beside her. He had been her best friend since before they had known how to properly communicate with people. Lilly thought their bond of friendship was something powerful, something that they could never forsake. She knew that the outsiders said that she was a slut and he was just in it to get a piece of her ass. However, the proud virgin blonde said differently, _knew _differently, and refused to fight the rumors. Who gave a fuck if they were having sex every night? Which they weren't, but still, it wasn't any of anyone's fucking business who she chose to hang out with and why.

"So, wait, why can't you go?"

"My board is snapped, remember?"

"I have a spare," he reminded her. She shook her head.

"Ollie, I think I just want a morning to sleep in, maybe just lay in bed and relax, ya know?"

He sighed, slightly dejected. "Alright, Lilly. Hey, skate night on Friday, right?"

"Totally. What park?"

"The one north of your house."

"Sick. I'll be there."

She tossed the board down and jumped on it, rolling away from the boy at an even pace. "I'll catch you later, aight?"

"Aight. Later, Lilly!"

She waved, smiling, and turned around, kicking at the sidewalk to get the board going. The wind raking through her hair was enough to calm her and get her to forget about the stresses of the day, the sunshine warming her heart as she headed home. Home...she suddenly realized that it was the last place she wanted to be. She most likely had to take care of her younger brother until her mother got home, which was always a pain in the ass; the kid was always smiling, but the seed of evil had been planted behind his eyes, and it was always there to banter against Lilly. She groaned.

"Little bastard's going to give me a helluva time today," she grumbled.

She turned to her right and headed into the neighborhood, skating down the street until she reached her home. The door was unlocked, since the fourteen-year-old didn't have any clue as to what an unlocked door could lead to. Still, the neighborhood was notoriously crime-free and provided a safe community for families to settle into. It wasn't the most expensive neighborhood around, but it was a good one to live in, no question about that.

Lilly slammed the door behind her, trudging down the hall and into her room. She smiled when she saw the familiar domicile with posters scattered everywhere except the wall to her left; that wall was reserved for her artwork, but lately it hadn't been used. The desk to her right and the bed across the room in the opposite corner of the door were the only pieces of furniture that looked like they were used, even amidst the laundry scattered throughout the room, piled on the bed, the floor, the dresser beside the bed, the desk, even the ceiling fan had bras and the occasional pair of panties hanging from its wooden slats. She dropped her board against the desk, just out of the path of the door's rotation, and tossed her backpack onto her bed. She needed food before she did anything else.

Upon walking into the kitchen, she noticed a sticky note on the stainless steel refrigerator. She tugged it free and let her eyes take in the words, slowly reading each letter.

_Lilly-_

_Maxie had a doctor's appt. Back around five._

_-Mom_

She grinned. The house was hers for an hour and a half. She grabbed a carton of ice cream from the fridge and set it on the counter, the solidified sweet sounding like a clacking brick as it collided against the ceramic tile on the counter-top. She reached up into the cabinet above the toaster oven that resided between the fridge and the sink and extricated a small glass cup, her fingers idly shutting the cabinet door and opening the fridge. _Mmm, Hot Damn sounds good to me_.

She grabbed the thin-necked bottle of cinnamon schnapps and poured some of the blessed alcohol into the glass, ignoring the warning on the side dictating the age requirement of twenty-one years as she did so, the amber-colored liquid swirling around the bottom of the glass as it filled. Once the glass was two-thirds full, she screwed the cap back on and slid the bottle back into the fridge, shutting the door gently afterward. The freezing-hot of the schnapps burned her throat, but she enjoyed the taste; it refreshed her and made her feel alive, even as the relaxing alcohol hit her blood-stream and mellowed her out. She smacked her lips and scooped up a spoon in her free hand, looping the arm around the gallon of frozen sweetness. She idly migrated back to her room, shutting the door behind her to blast music without regard or remorse for those around her. The goth-rock that pumped through the speakers attached to her laptop was bliss.

She checked her email. Nothing but spam. Next was to surf the web. She knew that none of her skater or surfer friends would be online for another hour or so, and thus decided to use her free time to satisfy her curiosities. One particular link intrigued her like none other on the page, so she clicked it and decided to see what it was about.

She immediately exited out of the window when it came up. Never again in her life would she ever go there, and just to erase the image, she downed the rest of the schnapps. The ice cream started calling her name as it began to melt in the container, and she decided to dive in and enjoy the sweetness within. And even as the music washed over her and she hummed with the lyrics, she lost herself to them and failed to notice the sounds of a car pulling up out front. It wasn't until she heard the front door close that she realized what was happening.

"Shit," she groaned. The glass immediately ended up on a lower shelf of her desk and she prayed that the smell would be overrun by the ice cream. Her mother knocked right as she took another spoonful of the stuff, and while one hand reached out for the door handle, the other dimmed the volume of the music by several notches.

"Hey there, how was your day?" her mother quipped. The blonde shrugged.

"Nothing new."

"Any homework?"

"Nope."

Her mother's hands went to their respective hips. "Lillian, don't lie to me. Do you have any homework?"

She shrugged, scooping out more ice cream. "Can't remember," she replied thickly.

"You had better try your damnedest to remember, young lady. You have a planner to write down all your assignments, right?"

"Yes," she replied unconcernedly.

"Then why don't you use it?"

"Because I can remember it all on my own."

"Then why can't you remember it now?"

"Because I don't have any homework."

"Lilly, five C's and a D in Geometry don't make me think that you're telling the truth."

There was vicious anger laced into the woman's words. Heather Truscott was not someone to be messed with, yet her daughter always seemed to get on the woman's nerves.

"The teacher hates me," she stated dumbly, scooping out more ice cream. The woman snatched the carton away and put the lid back on it, yanking the spoon from her daughter's mouth.

"The teacher does not hate you. You're just not trying. You don't apply yourself, Lillian. Look at this shithole of a room."

She glanced around. "I know where everything is, mom."

"I don't care what's where, it's a pigsty. Since you don't have any homework, you can get to cleaning it all up and putting it where it goes. Honestly, Lillian...you're a _girl_. You should have some form of class and respect for your things."

The woman walked away. Lilly scowled.

"Bitch," she muttered, turning back to the computer. She noticed an IM from Oliver and smiled.

_Hey, Lilly._

She typed back to him.

_Hey Ollie._

_How's the bitch?_

_Same as usual. Yours?_

_Flipped when she saw my grades. I'm getting all c's. _

_I have one d and my mom is freaking out_

_One d? I don't have any. _

_Well aren't you just a little einstein._

She could almost imagine him laughing on the other end of the computer link. However, she had no motivation to talk to him at that moment.

_Ollie, the bitch wants me to clean my room. I think I gotta take this._

_Don't piss her off, Lilly. We've gotta skate on Friday._

_I'll try. Later, Ollie. _

She closed the window and put her music back on, though not as loud as before. She wondered when her mom would get a real hobby instead of just pushing her around all the time. It was terribly frustrating.

"Alright, well, here goes the cleaning," she grumbled. The clothes-hamper was the first thing to be located and it was almost immediately stuffed to the brim as Lilly tossed all her dirty clothing into its belly, including the garments on the ceiling fan. She was a bit saddened to see them go, but she had to at least try and make her mom happy so she could go out on Friday night. She didn't care about the finals next week. All that mattered was having fun and living life. School wasn't life. School was just a waste of time.

Finally, all the dirty laundry had been accounted for. The clean laundry was just heaped on the floor in the closet. If she needed clothes, she could get to them. She knew what existed in the heap and what didn't. That is, she thought she did, until the pile moved and her cat crawled out from under it, having been bundled up in the warm heap of clean clothes.

"Hey there, Whiskers. What are you doing in there?"

The cat mewled and jumped back onto her bed, curling happily into a warm ball of purring fuzz on her pillow. She was only five months old, but she had made Lilly her mother and guardian on the day they'd first been introduced. Lilly couldn't help but smile at the cat; she was so adorable and happy just laying on her clothes or her bed or in her lap. Such simple pleasures that cats were taken by.

She scratched the fur-ball behind the ears and left the animal to sleep. She then stuffed everything that was hanging out of her dresser back into the drawers and slammed them shut, straightening the bottom of her t-shirt. Her shoes struck the wall beside the desk, causing the glass to rattle on the uneven wood surface. She remembered the now-nonexistent contents of the glass, knowing that to go out and rinse it out while her mother was in the kitchen would be suicide. She changed her mind and moved the glass to the sink in the bathroom, rinsing it in there, then scooping some water into her mouth via her hands. She needed to gargle out the alcoholic taste and try to keep a neutral smell around her. Upon walking into the kitchen to put the glass into the dishwasher, however, she was found to be sadly mistaken.

"Phew, Lilly, you reek," her brother commented. She leered at him.

"Maxie's right, Lilly. When was the last time you showered?"

"Last night," she lied. She hated showers, and the oily strands of blonde hair only served to promote that fact.

"I don't believe that for one minute," the bustling blonde woman replied as she prepared dinner, which was scheduled to be rotisserie chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. "Your hair is oily, Lilly. You should go get a shower."

"I'll get one later," she replied shortly. She turned and strode from the kitchen to avoid any further confrontation from her mother and brother. She hated it when they berated her. She hated when anyone berated her. That was why she was so adamant about being distant with them. They all thought she was stupid and irresponsible, but she wasn't entirely to blame.

Before Lilly had been born, in the short ten minutes before her birth, she had rotated her body within her mother's womb to prepare for entry into the birth canal. However, the umbilical cord had gotten wrapped around her neck, and as her mother pushed, the life-line became tighter and tighter, a noose around her own unborn neck, and when her mother finally pushed her out, the cord was still looped tightly around her neck. She had been born blue, no heartbeat, no pulse, no breathing, nothing. She was dead at birth.

But the nurse refused to give up. She laid the baby's fragile body down on a table and undid the cord, tying it off while instructing the younger intern nurse to suction the baby, to force a heart-beat, to force breathing to revive the child. The nurse had been doubtful, and even as Heather laid in the bed, crying for the loss of her child, she heard the old, white-haired nurse scream at the intern.

"_I said, SUCTION THAT BABY!"_

Almost immediately after, a reassuring sob had been heard, and the baby had been brought back from Death's clutches. Lillian Truscott was a miracle child, one who'd been doomed to die before birth. The problem with all the proceedings, however, wasn't the fact that the nurses saved her life. It was that she had been suffocating for long enough that part of her brain had begun to die. The dead neurons, partly in her instant memory, partly in her physical memory, and even a little bit in her motor functions, had only hindered her throughout school. She only just barely passed all her classes and was always called stupid or retarded. The words had hurt, and she'd been to speech therapy for her lisp, to counseling to straighten out her jumbled emotions, to tutoring and special-education classes and resource studies and she had been granted an IEP to help her with her studies. She did not see things clearly the way most others did, didn't comprehend everything the first time through, spent hours doing homework where with most it only took minutes. She hated it all. She couldn't blame herself because she didn't intentionally throttle herself. She couldn't blame her mother, much for the same reason. And yet, she was angry at those whom she couldn't blame, just because she _had _to blame them. Her mother claimed to have been there for her daughter, but that was far from the truth. The woman had only pushed for her girl to get through school and to push and struggle and push and struggle and push and struggle for all her life. She hated herself for being mentally impaired, but refused to get help. She wanted to be independent like the rest of the sophomore class, but deep down she knew it would be hell to try. Everyone already called her stupid, so why shouldn't she live up to their expectation?

"Lillian Truscott!" her mother called. She groaned, standing up as she rolled off the bed.

"This should be fun," she muttered as she left her room.

Her mother stood in the kitchen holding a square-shaped piece of paper. Lilly cringed. _That's the last grade update before the finals._

"What the hell is this?"

Lilly raised an eyebrow.

"Three D's? Lillian, explain yourself!"

"There's nothing to explain."

"What, you just don't get the work? You're not trying? You don't care? What is it, Lillian?"

She shrugged. The intense fire raging in her mother's blue eyes only served to grow bigger.

"You owe me an explanation, young lady! Why do you have three D's?"

"The teachers hate me and the homework is stupid."

"I doubt that those teachers hate you. That is a cock-and-bull excuse if I ever heard one. So is the homework! I don't care how boring or stupid it is, Lillian, you are to do every last bit of it every night!"

"And what? Give up my life? I have friends and commitments, mother!"

"Your only commitment as a child is to do well in school and have fun doing it, Lillian. You are not an adult, nor will you be for another two years. Is this how you want to live your life? At the rate you're going, you'll be homeless and starving, just another bum on the street with nothing to her name. Do you want that?"

"Why the hell would I want it?"

"Because the only way you're living under my roof after your eighteenth birthday is if you're going to continue being a student through college! We've been through this, Lillian."

"You're being unfair and unreasonable."

"Unfair? Unreasonable? Lillian, I've poured my _life _into you since you were born! Since _before _you were born! You've done nothing to show appreciation, nothing to carry yourself anywhere! You just want to be lazy and sit in that trash heap of a room, playing on your computer or skateboarding around town for no reason! You are lazy, ungrateful, and spoiled, Lillian Truscott!"

"There's no reward for any of it, mother! No matter what I try and do to make up for it, no matter what I say or how well I do, you're never happy! My teachers are always griping me about my grades and my studies and I've been trying to please you as much as them, but nobody seems to realize that fact! You wonder why I'm 'lazy' or 'ungrateful', mother? It's because nobody gives a damn about what I do."

"Nobody should have to, Lillian. Nobody but your family."

"But even you and dad! You don't show me any kind of pride or motivation!"

"We do when you deserve it, and you don't deserve it with grades like these."

"Then when, mother? When will I deserve it?"

"When you change yourself and your habits."

"Nobody anywhere seems to give a damn about me and my life, so why should I change for them? They don't care! Even you don't care! _I'm _the one who's unappreciated here!"

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do!"

"News flash, Lillian: _that's life._ Until you find a job that you enjoy working at for forty hours a week, you feel unappreciated and worthless, and usually that's the truth. Nobody gives a damn about the underpaid workers at the bottom of the ladder."

"Then why should I change when I already know what to expect?"

"Because if your education speaks for itself, then you don't have to start at the bottom of the career ladder!"

"But if nobody cares, why the hell should my education matter?"

"Because it's your fucking future, Lillian! Your _future!_"

"Why should that matter? You're already telling me I'm nothing!"

"The way you're acting right now and the bullshit you're pulling, you are just that."

"Well, why the hell am I going to want to change, then? No positive reinforcement for anything I do, and you want me to do better?"

"Because if you can't tell yourself that you know you did a good job, neither can anyone else. Your teachers would give you a surprising amount of praise if you'd shape up and start actually listening to what they have to say."

Her mother had managed to calm her voice, but Lilly was too distraught to notice. She sniffed loudly, feeling the stinging pricks of tears in her eyes.

"Fine. Hang me out to dry like the rest. I see how it is."

She turned away and moved to go back down the hall.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to my room," she growled over her shoulder.

"And what about dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," she replied darkly. With that, she slammed the bedroom door and locked it, blasting her music loud enough to rattle the windows. She held her head in her hands, struggling not to cry. It was all too much. Her mother didn't care about her future anymore. If her own mother didn't, then why should she? Where was the nourishment? Where was the encouragement? What was there to strive for?

She sighed shakily, her right hand grasping at the desktop, searching for the one thing she could do to release her frustrations. Finally, she found it, knowing its shape and cold malevolence just by lifting it up in her hand. The back of her hand hit the desk, and with one light cross from her right hand, a thin gash leered angry blood at her, the bottom of her left wrist stinging, the pain taking away the tears. Another slash followed, and another. Three even strikes had been marked out into her wrist, and she laid the blade down, reaching for the towel in her hamper. After a hasty wrap, she could feel the blood stop pulsing through her arm, and she sighed unsteadily as the blood-loss made her feel weak, dizzy, and oddly happy as the endorphins rushed to replenish the red-blood-cell count while she dozed off in the chair, the blasting music doing absolutely nothing to ward off the welcome sleep she so craved.

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**_In terms of length these chapters will be shorter than The Angel Of Death by about half, but I'll try to make up for it with the quantity of updates. Chapter 2 should be up soon. :)_**


	2. Turn Me Around

**_A/N: Two updates in one day? This must be some kind of miracle. Oh wait, I remember why: I don't have any kind of word goal for this story. :D Still, this chapter is about 4500 words long, I think._**

**_desertstormx: I'm glad you like the different approach. As for reading soon, how's this for you? Less than twelve hours later, in fact. :)_**

**_Morbid Crow: Oh, I'm afraid things are just beginning. It all seems so simple, but yet it's not. Thanks for the +fav, too! :)_**

**_Anyways, on to the chapter!_**

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Chapter 2: Turn Me Around

Lunch was a typical boring affair for Lilly. She just sat at one of the tables out in the quad, letting the gorgeous California sunshine soak into her skin. But it wasn't enough to ever warm her soul. Her parents had seen to that. They'd abandoned her. They'd forsaken her. They'd let her walk into the abyss, and now refused to drop a life-line to save her. Yeah, well, fuck them too.

She hated being called stupid and retarded. She knew that Maxwell was smarter than she had been at his age, but she didn't know how much smarter or even if he was smarter than she was as a sophomore; he was only in eighth grade, after all. She hated that he got all the attention and love. He was the smart child. He was the perfect angel. Not her. She had turned out rotten. She was very close to flunking out of her second year of high-school and nobody gave a damn. Days moved too fast; her brain moved too slow. She was far from stupid, but she didn't always get the material that was being covered in class that day. Some of it stuck and made sense, but the rest was totally beyond her. She felt like she just needed a second chance, someone to believe in her, maybe even just a short-lived amount of extra help. Even just someone to tell her that she was smart and that she would go somewhere in the world. Was it really so hard to say that she was doing a good job once in a while?

Her father had come home the night before, exhausted after the jet lag from his business trip to Japan, then to London. He was an entrepreneur for a powerful company known as TruCorp. The goal of the company was to revolutionize the way of living with new appliances for the house and new ways of thinking about how to change the preconceived notions that the public had about the way a household should run. To date, her father had conceived plausible ideas for, and built working models of, a toaster that was built into the counter, a touch-activated stove that blended with the counter it was mounted to, a dishwasher that had the ability to scrub individual dishes, a thumb-print-activated deadbolt lock on a door, a bed that could automatically reshape itself through hydraulics and gentle pressure changes to provide unbroken sleep and immense comfort to the body, and a vacuum cleaner that picked up ninety-nine percent of all dust and debris from the carpet. The past week's presentations had been for a television screen that was the thickness of a windowpane, just as see-through, and yet could display 2,000 pixels per square inch of high-resolution imaging and clarity. One of three of the exact same televisions hung in their own living room, the other two contained within TruCorp's main headquarters, one on display, the other running through testing and data acquisition.

Needless to say, with the fatigued man returning home late Wednesday night, he did not know anything about Lilly's grades. Heather hadn't told him. She had no intention of doing so. Lilly wouldn't tell her father of her grades if she didn't have to, so therefore the man would be left clueless, for the better. If he ever found out that his daughter was near the edge of failure, he'd lose it and rip her a new ass.

She contemplated the possible outrage her father could unleash if he knew. She would be the immediate target, followed by her mother for 'wasting her time on a retarded child.' Retarded. That word slashed through her heart every time. She didn't want to be retarded. She hated being called retarded, hated it even though she believed it with all her heart. She didn't want to be stupid, didn't want to be the one that everyone laughed at. It was all up to her, in a sense.

Fifth period health drifted by slowly. Then came sixth period Geometry again. She struggled to pay attention through both classes. Once the bell rang, however, she didn't stand up and leave. She waited for the class to empty. Finally, the teacher looked up at her, a bit startled.

"Lilly, is there something I can help you with?"

The blonde cleared her throat shakily, unsure of herself. "Um...remember when you told me that you had a tutor of sorts who could help me?"

"Yes. That offer is still available."

"Do you know...what this person is doing on Saturday?"

"I can't say I know the schedule, but I can certainly ask. Are you considering utilizing her brain for help?"

She nodded, gazing down at her desk. "I...I don't want to fail. I never wanted to fail. A-and most of all...I hate when people call me r-r-retarded," she choked out, struggling to keep herself in check. She slowly lifted her gaze to her teacher, who, surprisingly, was smiling.

"Lilly, you're not retarded. You just need a little extra help. My TA will help you immensely if you want."

"Y-yes...I would most certainly like the help."

"Well, alright. I'll see what the answer is, then. You'll know at the beginning of class tomorrow."

"Thank you," she mumbled, shyly scooping her stuff up and leaving the room. She felt torn about the decision she'd made to ask for help, but she needed it. She couldn't take the pressure from her parents any longer. She hated being their stupid child. They'd given up on her when she needed them most. She'd show them with a little help, no thanks to any of their work.

Once again she skateboarded home, not looking forward to the dinner conversation. She would have to tell her father about her grades and deal with him panicking and ripping her wide-fucking-open for the world to see. She didn't like the thought, but it had to be done. She had to tell them that she had requested a tutor for her Geometry, though the TA, who was rumored to be in Pre-Calculus, a tough honors math class, meant that there was also the strong possibility of help in other subjects. Lilly hoped so. She was overly reluctant to ask for even one tutor, let alone six.

Her brother was home this time, playing some online game with his friends. She could tell it was a gory game, probably some manifestation of war, as the sound of machine-gun shots reached her ears upon opening the door. He had been addicted to the game for a while now, but her parents never got mad at him for playing; he always had good grades and kept his nose clean while they were around. He was carefree when they weren't; nothing that Lilly said made any difference to them, as they would only believe she was attempting to get their little angel into trouble for something trivial. Thus, upon hearing her brother cuss into the headset he wore lopsidedly over his cranium, she merely shook her head and walled herself up in her room.

A short half-hour later and her mother arrived home, once again entering Lilly's bedroom. This time, the woman looked pleasantly surprised at seeing her daughter relaxed in her black swivel-chair, her shiny blue bass guitar resting on her lap, the floor and bed free of clothing or other debris. The room actually looked inhabitable for once.

"My God, you cleaned in here."

Lilly raised an eyebrow. "You act like you're surprised."

"Well, truthfully, I am. This place looks...decent, Lilly."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for trying, mom. Oh, and prepare to be doubly surprised."

"By?"

"Well...I'm going to tell dad at dinner about my grades."

Now it was Heather's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "Lillian, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"He deserves to know the truth."

"You think so?"

"Well, considering I actually bothered to...to ask my math teacher for a t-tutor, yeah."

"You...asked for a tutor?"

"She offered her TA up to me from her fourth period Algebra Two Trig class on Tuesday, and I asked what the TA would be doing on Saturday. You grounded me from my Friday night skate session, and I don't want to ruin whatever the tutor might be doing that evening," she grumbled ruefully.

"Don't be like that, Lillian," she warned sternly. "You and I both know that you can be doing better."

_Actually, somehow, I think you lost faith in me. Maybe you don't get it, mother, but this is my way of saying 'fuck you' right to your face. _"Yeah...sure."

Her mother's eyebrows furrowed in the instant before she left, shutting the door behind her. Lilly returned to playing notes on the bass, both plucking and slapping the strings with her thumbs and fingers. The fat, jazzy tune that sounded from the amp's depths was enrichment to her soul and made her feel good inside, knowing that she had learned how to play the instrument without any help of any kind. She wasn't in a band, but she had played occasionally with her friends when they decided to get drunk and make noise on the weekends and holidays. She smirked openly, grabbing the thick plastic pick from the desk, her hands cranking out a fast and overly aggressive line of strumming, her fingers flying across the frets in an angered frenzy. She loved the self-expression that she had just through the playing of such a simple instrument. Even as she remembered one particularly rowdy evening consisting of nothing but heavy music and harsh vocals, she smiled, continuing her fast-paced strumming and rhythm. It felt good to vent through her music.

After a while she tired of it and returned the instrument to its stand, the amp powering down and sitting gently beside it. The bass was the only thing that held any value in Lilly's eyes, second only to her skateboard. Nothing else mattered so long as she could ride her wheels and play some melodious expression of her soul.

Her thoughts of blissful music were interrupted, however, when her mother called her to dinner not long after. The feelings of fear and trepidation returned. She had already informed her mother of her decision. Now she just had to build up her courage and find the right time.

Whether by good fortune or bad, as she began eating the luxuriously delicious mostaccioli noodles and pepperoni slices that were baked within a cheesy crust of warmth and flavorful goodness. It was like heaven to her tastebuds since she'd not consumed any food all day and was literally starved. After the fourth bite off his plate, Kenneth Truscott cleared his throat.

"So, how's school been for you two?"

"I've been doing great. My teachers love me to death so much it hurts sometimes," Max stated. His father smiled.

"Sometimes it's what happens, son. Better loved than hated, right?"

Lilly couldn't help the light pink tinge that just barely tapped her cheeks. Within a half-second, her father was on her case as well.

"And you, young lady?"

He had more of a condescending tone with her. She sighed.

"Not so hot," she mumbled to her plate.

"What's the trouble this time?"

"I...I have three C's and three D's," she admitted. There was silence for a moment. She could hear her father cleaning his teeth with his tongue, something he did when he was either frustrated with news or angry with someone. Lilly suspected both were true.

"Three D's."

She nodded glumly.

"Heather, what the hell kind of child are we raising here?"

"Ken, dear, please-"

"No, Heather. I've tried being nice, I've tried being supportive, I've tried helping, and now she's gone and pissed on my foot and tried to tell me it's raining. You shouldn't have to pressure her anymore. She's not a child. She's in high-school. She'll be in the real world soon, where reality will whip her ass for being lazy and incompetent."

"I'm not incompetent," Lilly growled.

"Then why are you failing?"

"I'm not failing, dad, I'm struggling."

"With what? We've given you all the help we can."

"It's not something you can help with."

"Clearly," he scoffed. She was reaching the breaking point.

"Look, I don't particularly care what you think about me. Call me whatever names you want, say what you will, whatever. I don't care what you say behind my back; it just confirms what I already believe to be true, that my parents are too afraid to just tell me to my face. And in case you're ready to insult my intelligence and call me stupid or retarded or trash or whatever the hell else, I've asked for a tutor for this Saturday since mom won't let me go out Friday night."

"Damn right you won't go out Friday night. You aren't going _anywhere _this weekend. You now have no life for these grades, Lillian."

"I don't care," she returned violently, dropping her fork to her plate, glaring at her father across the table. "I don't care how little of a life you give me. I asked for a tutor to help me, and that tutor will be here on Saturday to aid me if I have any say whatsoever. I'm not stupid, dad-"

"Then why the hell are you failing? Why do you need a tutor?"

"Because the damn class isn't long enough to learn anything!"

She was alight with anger at her father's lack of comprehension. She had figured that he would at least be open-minded enough to maybe understand the situation, even if he didn't like it.

"So you're wasting my good money to pay for this tutor person?"

"It's a free tutor, dad! It's someone who goes to my school. And if it isn't free, I'll be shelling out my own money to pay for it, thank you very much!"

She glowered at her father, the angry blue coals burning in her irises, daring him to challenge her. He shook his head slowly.

"I can't believe my child didn't learn anything in class," he said quietly. She nearly snapped.

"And I can't believe my father doesn't have any faith in his child," she returned just as venomously. She stood and shoved her plate away, storming off.

"Prove me wrong, then! Show me you're better than that!"

"You're gonna eat those words!" she called over her shoulder.

"Lilly, what about dinner?" her mother asked desperately.

"_I'm not hungry!_" she roared, slamming her door. The handle locked of its own accord, leaving the blonde with nothing to do but to flop into her chair in anger. The conversation hadn't gone the way she'd hoped it would. Still, she would show him. She would show everyone. They all thought she was retarded. She wasn't retarded. She didn't require special education. She didn't need a resource class or an IEP. She just needed a leg-up to help herself out. That tutor was going to be her leg up, she was sure of it.

Even as the music began blaring through the speakers again, she reflected on the evening. Nothing had gone the way she had planned. She wondered distantly if anything could help her out of her emotional turmoil and lack of self-confidence. She had never had a very high self-esteem, and the only way she seemed to ever feel comfortable or good about herself was when she was riding her skateboard or playing music. Nothing seemed right. Nothing seemed fair.

The quiet knock on the door was almost missed amid the loud rantings of the music, which were hurriedly dimmed once the noise registered in Lilly's mind. The lock clicked as she swiped at the handle with her open hand, and her mother's worried face poked its way in.

"You alright, Lilly?"

"Just peachy, mother."

"Your father may not seem like it, but he's glad that you're taking your education seriously."

"Yeah. No thanks to either of you."

Her mother seemed a bit taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You both gave up on me. Called me retarded. Called me a failure. Threatened to kick me out. You've both given up on me, and you want me to believe that you're _glad _that I'm thinking of my future?"

"Lillian-"

"Save it, mother. I promise you now, I will work my damnedest to pull through and bring you amazing grades, just so I can rub your stuck-up, prim, proper, perfect nose in those small, powerful letters on the piece of paper they send home every now and again, just to say 'I told you so' with a mocking smile and a nagging voice."

Her mother clenched her jaw, the muscles visibly tightening. "That is no way to talk to your mother."

"And yet, I've just shown you right there that I'm not as stupid as everyone believes me to be. Thank you, and goodnight."

The woman shut her daughter's door, at which point loud music immediately began playing again. Lilly believed that she truly was a smart person, if only someone who didn't always understand everything that she was expected to learn. School wasn't her interest. It was just a way to waste the days of her life with meaningless drivel, just the way it had been for the past eleven years she'd been attending. Her interests didn't include schoolwork. The only things she liked about it were the fact that her friends were there and that she could be away from her parents. Beside that, there was no point in going to that institution. She only wanted to play music and ride her skateboard. Even creative writing had lost its appeal with her since she'd been told by her English teacher that it was no good and was written by someone with a sixth-grader's voice. That had crushed her more than anything. She loved writing, loved the freedom of self-expression and vocabulary growth, but what was the point when her teacher, just one year before, had told her that she sounded like a child with everything she had to say?

She sighed, gazing once again at the computer screen. There was nothing to interest her there. She had hidden all her writing away in a folder, never to be opened by anyone ever again. The last time she'd written anything, it had been a poem, a series of sonnets of some kind (though the exact name of it escaped her) written the day of her birthday in mid-July. It was entitled 'The Circle' and it had only taken Lilly ten minutes to write the thirteen stanzas at fourteen lines apiece within her head, another fifteen to get the kinks ironed out on the paper and create a presentable representation of the poem. However, she never let anyone read it, ever. It was too personal, too violent, too sexual, too much of things she had little knowledge of.

She rubbed her temples, wondering why she was still awake. Then again, it was only about eight-thirty in the evening. She technically didn't have curfew for another hour-and-a-half, yet the fatigue of the day was beginning to catch up with her. She didn't know if she'd be able to make it much longer. Oh well. Shit happened.

She kicked off her shoes, letting them reside under the desk. Her pants and shirt followed suit, landing in the clothes-hamper. Then went her bra. As she tossed it away, she caught her reflection in the mirror that was also her closet door. She gazed at herself in silence, the music having played itself out, and drank herself in. Long, oily blonde hair that flowed from the top of her head down to the bottom of her shoulder blades, framing her angelic face perfectly, even with the thick tendrils of unclean hair. Her eyebrows were neat and clean, hovering gently over dull blue eyes that looked like they'd seen better days. Her nose sat, cute as a button, right above her lips, young and healthy as they were. Her neck was a bit long, but it made her look just a tad bit older, her shoulders leaning down a bit as if burdened by a heavy weight. Even her breasts seemed to sag just a bit, the pink nipples soft and malleable in their unaroused state. Her taut stomach beneath matched that of the slight muscles in her forearms and biceps from all the skating tricks that she did. She seemed so much like a boy, and yet, she wondered what it would be like to be just a bit more feminine. Nothing could be helped.

Her stomach flowed seamlessly into her waist and hips, gentle curves that could become more pronounced and turn heads should she ever care to accent them or present herself in such a fashion. She preferred boys and their sense of not giving a fuck about anything rather than being a girly-girl who liked to dress up and look cute and chase after the popular boys. She had much better things to do with her time, as her strong thighs and calves well claimed. She could see prickles poking out of her legs. She definitely needed to shave. First she needed to put the razorblades back into her shaver.

The razorblades.

Memories of Tuesday night came back to haunt her. She hated slashing her wrists as much as she enjoyed the happiness that eventually resulted from it. She never truly felt better after she woke up the next morning from the blackout while her body recovered, and the scars on her wrists never faded, only dulled, leaving her looking marred and unclean, as though she'd been some holy artifact dropped in the mud, forever stained with the repercussions of her actions. It was the only way out of her suffering. Either that, or she could die.

So why didn't she?

The answer was simple, really. She believed that she was only given one life. She only had one chance to change herself and become a better person. She only had one time to live, and if she ended that time, there was no coming back. She didn't cut because she wanted to commit suicide, she did it because it relieved the day, or week, or month, or even extension of months' worth of pain. And even as she gazed at herself in the mirror, her eyes catching sight of the evil little steel blade, she knew that she had to at least try and give it up. The risk for dying was too great, and even though she hated being called names by her family and peers, she hated even more the prospect of dying. She gritted her teeth determinedly.

_I can do this._

The razor found its way into her hand along with a bra and a new pair of black panties from the topmost drawer in her dresser. She then wrapped one arm nonchalantly across her exposed breasts and strode into the bathroom midway down the hall, shutting the door and locking it. The light clicked on, only preceding the shower by a brief instant, the clean garments earning their place on the back of the toilet, hidden by a clean, fuzzy towel. Her panties came off and she caught a glimpse of her naked body in the bathroom mirror, this time taking in the previously-covered section of skin on the front of her body. She slotted the blade back into her shaving razor and decided that she was in need of being clean and trimmed all over.

The hot water greeted her like an old friend that had been forgotten, both happily and sadly at the distance and the lack of affection. It had been a week since she'd last gotten a shower. She figured that she never needed them, even as she shampooed her golden locks into a white, lathery beehive atop her head. The water then cleaned the soapy mess from her hair and she moved on to applying the conditioner to soften her hair up a bit. She had forgotten how much she missed getting herself cleaned up in the shower.

With the conditioner set atop her head, her hair once again balled up, she reached for her razor and began working the blades against her legs. She moved slowly and deliberately, making sure to slice every hair cleanly and neatly under the water. There was no need for cream, just some lotion with aloe mixed into it to help soften her legs up and revitalize the underlying skin. After her legs came her pits, which had begun to form small pumpkin patches of hair on their own. She shuddered. Even though she preferred acting and dressing like a boy, she certainly didn't like the hair that came with it. She still had some girly quirks about her.

Finally she finished under her arms, feeling satisfied with her work. Next up: her crotch. She gazed down at her pelvis and below, taking in the unruly patch of fuzz that had grown. It was actually longer than generic fuzz, but it wasn't long enough to be called much else. She sighed and began gently dragging the razor across her sensitive skin, trying not to leave nicks or cuts in any uncomfortable places. Nothing pleased her more at that moment than to know that she would be clean, crisp, and done shaving for who knew how long. The soapy washrag then replaced the razor in her hand, and she scrubbed at every inch of skin she could reach, which was everywhere except for the spot on her back that sat just below the center of her shoulder blades, about a quarter way down her spine. Even her feet were scrubbed clean, the dirt and grime coming free easily under her abrasive scrubbing, her body looking, feeling, smelling cleaner than it had ever been before. And as the conditioner rinsed from her hair, she wondered suddenly why she was going through the trouble of cleaning herself?

_It's symbolic. I'm cleaning up my act, so I've gotta clean up my body._

She giggled a bit at the thought. It made sense in a delirious sort of way. The water shut off and she stepped out of the shower, her skin steaming in the cool atmosphere of the bathroom. She toweled off and then wrapped the fuzzy white cloth around her hair. Her gaze once again caught the mirror and she noted how clean, how strong, how 'pure' she appeared to be. But of course, that was a lie. Lilly Truscott could never be pure, could she?

She stepped into her panties and slid them up to snugly hug her hips and cover her crotch. Her bra followed, lifting her breasts a bit, gently holding them for her. She smiled gently at her reflection. Even though she didn't like everything that she saw, there was no mistaking the bit of sexual attraction that she had to offer. She wasn't willing to give it, though. She thought she was anything but attractive to anyone. Sexy, debatable. Pretty, not so much.

She cut the light and moved back to her room, shutting the door. The bra fell back off as she retrieved a night-shirt that hung to the middle of her thighs. She had only needed the garment of clothing to cover herself for the short journey it took to get down the hall again. The towel came undone and landed in the hamper, much the same way Lilly landed on her bed: a mass that hurtled through the air and then unceremoniously landed on the object beneath it, where it would then remain for the duration of the night.

* * *

**_The Angel Of Death has been moving along slowly for me in terms of writing...I've got about four of the sixteen pages I need in order to update the story, so don't expect to see a chapter until tomorrow at the soonest, though I doubt that it will come out of me that soon. I will try my very hardest not to go on hiatus with it; Part I ends at the close of Chapter 10, which will most likely be shorter than the other chapters. Chapters 8 and 9 will be as close to 10000 words as I can bring them. Then comes Part II. :D_**

**_As for this story, time seems to slip past more than anything. There's really nothing taking place during the moments of seemingly stream-of-consciousness narrative. Guess what: it's symbolic of her life slipping past her as she continues to go down in a ball of flames. Now, the question is, do you think Lilly will fail, or will this 'mysterious' TA save her hide? You tell me what you'd like to see, other than the eventual Liley that this will become. :)_**


	3. The First Step

**_A/N: Sorry for leaving you guys hanging for four days. I was ill with the flu all weekend and had no inspiration to write anything. I finally sat down and cranked out a chapter, and I was actually surpised at how easily it came out. Guess I haven't lost my touch of speed._**

**_desertstormx: Glad to see you've added this story to your favorites too. Indeed, it is poor Lilly, but it's not her parents' fault. Remember: they specifically said that they tried. I'm glad you think it's touching, but there's no promises on the cutting. That had to be set up early for a reason. And while it is true that it's not as dark and grim as The Angel Of Death, it's certainly supposed to be more realistic and have more feeling behind the words than just 10,000 segments of a chapter on a single page. Hopefully I can take my sweet, good-natured (even if badly-scripted) time at writing this story out so that the action doesn't seem rushed._**

**_Morbid Crow: You'll be glad to know that she gets help for school in this chapter, even if it's only to push her through the final. There's a lot of foreshadowing and illusive imagery here. I'm in Psychology right now, and I'm hoping to incorporate some of the things I learn about mannerisms and the body's way of reacting to people and scenarios with this story. :)_**

**_JASG: Well, glad you like it! Here's the update you requested. :)_**

**_Also, thanks to Angedechu24 and RaiseYourGlass for the +favs, it means the world to me, second to reviews. I hope to see some new reviews on this chapter soon from all you guys; this should be a bit of an emotional reach for you all. Enjoy what you can, and allow my words to lull you into Lilly's world. _**

* * *

Chapter 3: The First Step

"Lilly, are you up?"

The gentle persuasive call of her mother's voice passed around the door and met Lilly's ears, somewhat unwelcome in her belief. She slapped the doorhandle unlocked and her mother poked her head in curiously.

"I think the tutor is here, Lilly. Is she a girl about your age?"

"Dunno. The teacher never said."

"Well, there's someone at the door who knows your name and has a backpack slung over her shoulder."

"Well, send her in, then."

Heather nodded. "Try to be nice," she chastised before leaving. A moment later, Lilly heard her door creep open and she gasped, for the girl who stood before her was gorgeous, preppy, and ready to help her study.

"You...You're Miley Stewart, aren't you?"

The brunette smiled, her dazzling teeth perfectly aligned and beautifully white. "Yes, that's me. You must be Lilly."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The brunette shrugged. "I was told that you requested my help, so I came to help."

"Wait...you're the infamous TA? The super smart TA who takes all honors and AP classes as a sophomore?"

"Yeah..." she admitted sheepishly. This girl was on the soccer team, the volleyball team, the track team, the dance team, the show choir, the all-girls a Capella choir, the drama club, and was captain of the cheer squad. She was famous around their school for being involved in everything she could, including helping with ASB and Student Council. There were rumors that she often didn't get more than three hours of sleep per night. There were also rumors that she was hooking up with Jake Ryan, captain of the basketball team, the football team, and the water polo team, behind closed doors. Lilly didn't care; she'd never liked Miley, not even when they'd been in grade school together. Her perfect brown hair, always with just the right amount of curl and allure to its silky shine that made it look like a soft, lazily flowing river of the sweetest milk chocolate. Her beautiful hazel eyes, which would be green on some days and blue on others and brown on others still, always sparkling with intuition and new ideas, but often heavily guarded to her true intentions. Her flawless body, perfectly toned and physically fit, her muscle present but not overly prominent, adding only to her feminine curves, from her well-balanced chest down to the taper in her waist flowing to the sexy curve around her hips. She looked damn good, she _knew _she looked damn good, and Lilly never really gave a flying fuck. Not even the pink-and-white jacket that covered the black, lacy blouse over the dark blue skinny jeans could make her change her mind.

"So you're the tutor," the blonde guessed in a cursory tone.

"Yeah...so what do you need help with?"

Lilly paused for a moment. _Help? Forget that. Why are you here?_

"Why do you want to help me?"

Miley was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Look, Stewart," Lilly started, standing up and placing her hands on her hips in an affronted stance, "the whole time I've known you, you've been, well, a bit of a bitch to me. You put me through hell during grade school, and now you're miss prim, proper, and perfect all of a sudden." The reaction that was elicited from Miley was not one of regret; rather, something totally unreadable by Lilly. It seemed to be a mix of things, but the blonde pressed forward. "Why would I leave my faith in you to teach me what I need to know when you've thusfar done nothing but torment me?"

Miley sighed, looking at the floor. "Lilly...we were kids. That's over now. We're in high-school. We're more mature now. We understand things better as teenagers." She looked back up at Lilly, her sadness speaking more volumes than a set of encyclopedias. "I...I didn't realize it had bothered you so badly," she mumbled gloomily. "I'm sorry, Lilly...for everything. Can I make it up to you through these tutor sessions?"

"Sure. An apology. Fix everything with two simple words," she fumed. She wasn't loud and was trying very hard not to be vulgar, but the urge was very powerful. She clenched her fists and struggled for a minute to calm herself. "Miley...I don't think I can accept your apology...not now, not yet. You coming back into my life, this time to help me...it's too soon to give you an honest answer about all this. You hurt me like you have no idea, Miley." She softened, but just enough for it to show in her voice. "I can't just give in to your redemption and make it go away. It's part of what I am today."

The brunette nodded, quailing a bit under the controlled but furious stare of the slightly shorter blonde girl before her. They may only have been sophomores, but they were very certainly capable of thinking and behaving like adults, and that included actions and emotional responses. Lilly's response was to attempt to calm herself. Miley's was a resolution to make it up to the blonde girl before her.

"S-so...what subject are we starting first? I'll try to help you with anything you need, Lilly."

"Well," the blonde began, gesturing to the bed as she herself sat down upon it, dragging her backpack out from under her bed, "I technically only requested a tutor for Geometry. But since you're here...maybe you can help me with a little of everything. I've got Health, PhysEd, Physical Science, World History, English, and Geometry."

Miley sat gingerly on the bed, bringing her own backpack into her lap. Out of the mouth came the exact types of books that the blonde herself used daily for her own classes. She looked back at Miley, dumbfounded, while the brunette asked a question with her eyes, _these books?_

"Did you...did you raid my locker?"

Miley shook her head, a light smile coming to her face. "If you've heard anything about me being in five different Advanced Placement classes, you're sadly mistaken, and so are the rumors. I'm in Honors Health, PhysEd, Chemistry, Honors World History, Honors English, and Pre-Calculus. I have a Physical Science book because I...I made it a point to ask for your schedule in the office on Friday when your teacher told me about a student in need, and since the bookstore lady works closely with the ASB students, I just borrowed a copy from them. Everything else is the exact same as what you have, save for Pre-Cal."

Lilly was stunned. This girl who sat before her, so perfect and so smart, getting straight A's in every single subject, was only taking the honors versions of the same classes that Lilly had. It boggled her mind.

"Um...why don't we start with Geometry?"

"Sounds good to me. What chapter are you on?"

"Let me see...we're learning about bisected angles and definitions of a parallelogram, all in proof-form."

Miley made an incomprehensible guttural noise with her throat, sort of a cross between a cough, a moan, and a grumble. "I will be perfectly honest and say that I absolutely hate two-column proofs."

"So does half the class," Lilly said, nodding slightly. She still did not like the girl, but she was making an attempt as much for herself as for her tutor to set aside her old harbored feelings of resentment and anger.

"But, there's a way to make them easier," Miley suggested. "I talked a little with your English teacher, and I've heard that you're quite the writer," she said, making Lilly very uncomfortable with her knowledge of her personal expression of emotion. "Pretend like you're writing a story. You have the beginning, and you want to find the ending. So, you just take everything step-by-step to work the character through the proof until he reaches the climax, the second-to-last step in the proof where you finally have the actual answer, and then the resolution is where you write the statement that the question wanted you to prove was true and why."

It made sense. Much as Lilly would have liked to say otherwise, just because it was Miley who was tutoring her, she could see no room for argument. It made _sense_. The beauty of it was, she knew exactly what Miley was talking about, and suddenly everything seemed very clear on the paper. She blinked at the brunette.

"I actually understood something that someone has said to me relating to this class," she admitted, astonished. Miley blushed a bit, blinking rapidly and looking down at her hands twined together in her lap. Lilly noted that they had dark blue paint on them, and as with everything else, they were perfect.

"Alright, let me try one," she said, feeling a bit more confident. She pulled a sheet of notebook paper off the stack that Miley had laid out on the bed and let it rest on the book. She looked around with earnest until she saw a challenging one.

_Given: Angle ABC is congruent to angle JKL_

_Prove: Angle DAC is congruent to angle FHJ_

A geometric mass of interlocking lines in variously-sized triangles was drawn onto the printed paper in the textbook. Lilly scratched her head and started with the first step. She paused, then looked up to Miley.

"Hey, what's an angle bisector?"

"A line that splits an angle exactly in half. 'Sect' means cut, like dissect, insect, or section. 'Bi' means two, like bicycle, biplane, bilateral, or bisexual," she explained. She had blurted out the last bit on the list a bit hurriedly, it seemed to Lilly, and the blonde, who glanced up with a raised eyebrow, did not fail to notice that Miley's eyes were not green the way they had been while she was lecturing about the proofs. No, this time they were a soft gray, though the expression within them was unclear. Lilly didn't know what was going on in the girl's head, but then again she didn't need to. She set to work on writing.

"Angle bisector...congruent angles...supplementary angles...supplementary angles...vertical angles...complimentary angles...parallel lines...parallel lines...parallelogram...complimentary angles. Done."

She handed the proof sheet over to Miley, who scanned it quickly. Lilly watched her eyebrows lift up onto her forehead. The paper came back to the blonde from a beaming Miley, though it did little to make Lilly feel better.

"That's absolutely perfect, Lilly! Try another."

And she did. Once again the answer was correct, and all the steps were neat and in order. And again, and again, and again until she had solved every single proof on all the homework assignments, all the reviews and in-book tests, and even some that were considered 'extra practice' in the back of the book. Lilly slammed the Geometry book shut and glanced at the clock on the dresser, only to see that one short hour had gone by.

"See, Lilly? You get this! Look at how well you're doing!"

"Yeah, but wait until I get to the test. Homework's not really a problem, it just sucks. But on tests...I choke."

"Don't fake yourself out, Lilly. Ignore the fact that it's a test. Just pretend it's another homework assignment. That's what I do."

"Really? Does it work?"

"It's worked for me for the past six years."

"Huh. I guess I'll have to try it."

"Alright, now what?"

"Let's do science. We're learning about inertia and gravity and friction and stuff."

"The forces acting on an object?"

"Exactly."

"How did you learn it?"

"I was always told to just picture it, but I just can't ever figure out which forces go where."

"Wanna know a secret?"

"Shoot."

"If you draw a box," she said, doing just that, "and you label it," she wrote the word 'bird' inside the box, "then all you have to do is what makes it go forward, backward, up, and down," she finished, drawing lines for each direction. "It's a bird, so when it flaps its wings it goes up. This is called 'lift,'" she explained, writing the word 'lift' under the word 'wings' at the top of the box. "But gravity drags it down," she continued, writing the word under the box. "The wings also let it go forward, but wind resistance, or 'drag,' slows the bird down, which is why it keeps flapping."

The box was anything but beautiful, but again, it made sense. All the forces had been accounted for and were very easy, almost crude, in terms of understanding the concepts. Lilly felt astonished at the simplicity of the result, and as with Geometry, everything suddenly became clear to her. Not one-hundred percent perfectly crystal clear, but it was no longer as though she was swimming through mud without goggles; now she had migrated to a pool, though was still minus her goggles and was thus still a bit fuzzy as to how every tiny detail played out. She looked back up at a pleased, green-eyed Miley.

"This actually makes sense. So, then, inertia would be forward, gravity is down, friction is backward, then what pushes up?"

"On...?"

"Um...a box, or something. Something that isn't in the air."

Miley chuckled. "That's called 'normal force'. It's basically just the scientific way of saying that the box isn't falling. Normal force occurs when an object rests atop another, such as a desk or a bed or the ground, and doesn't fall through to whatever lies beneath. The idea is that the object cannot fall through the ground if normal force is present. Once gravity overcomes the normal, then the object will fall through the surface, and the surface will most likely break."

"Normal force. Got it. I hope..."

"There really isn't a mnemonic for remembering the forces...you just kinda gotta let it soak in and memorize itself."

"Mnemonic?"

"Yeah. Like PEMDAS. Something that can be remembered through symbols, letters, or a story of some kind. In chemistry, we remember that the way to figure out the temperature of an object is to take the mass, multiply the specific heat, and then the temperature change. The code is MCat. Another would be like in Biology. Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telephase. PMAT. I think it's part of the I-P -MAT-C group, right?"

"Yeah. I think so. And I get the nem...nom...thing."

Miley laughed. "Mnemonic. But as I was saying before, there isn't one for forces. You've just gotta commit it to memory, and I've found that drawings always help." She paused before sheepishly mumbling "Even if I have a photographic memory."

Lilly was unperturbed. So Miley had a photographic memory. That just made it easier for her to remember things, right? Whatever. So she was smarter. Big whoop. That's why she was helping.

"So, now what?"

"Health."

"What chapter are you on?"

"We've gotta review everything, but...we've just finished the sexual education part of the book. I guess the teacher wanted to save the best for last, or something to that effect. He's gross."

"I think he's just...different...he reacts differently to different things, just like any other person. He may find it fascinating."

"Probably because he never gets laid," she muttered. Miley frowned.

"His personal life is not our concern. So, what do you need help with?"

"Well...my friends have all told me stories about drugs, and I know first-hand what weed and crack are like, so I'm good there. The thing that's got me miffed is something that wasn't ever in the textbook. Like, it was mentioned, but never really covered."

"And what part would that be?"

"It's...sorta odd, actually."

"I'm not judging you, Lilly," she replied honestly. Her eyes were still a very warm, very calm green.

"They...talked a bit about...touching oneself...and 'getting off' from it, but...H-how do you know when you've reached the peak...?"

Miley flushed a little bit. Even Lilly could not suppress the heat in her cheeks. "W-well...I suppose it takes time and effort and a little patience, just with anything else..." Miley answered slowly. It seemed to Lilly as though she were choosing her words very, very carefully, and that she was extremely nervous, her hands twirling locks of her hair and clenching or unclenching in a sort of unheard rhythm.

Without thinking, the question flew out of Lilly's mouth. "Has it ever happened to you?"

The very pregnant silence that followed struck Lilly headlong with the sudden gravity of her question. She glared down at the bed, fuming at herself for asking such a question.

"S-sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay," Miley replied. Her voice was just a tiny pitch higher, as though her throat were constricted, and she sounded a bit strained. "I...I don't know if I've ever...gone that far."

Lilly sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no, it's f-fine," the brunette replied. "Is there anything else in health that you're unsure of?"

"No...everything else is a go. What's next?"

"Um...history?"

"I hate history class," she spat, finally losing her blush and looking up. Miley's blue irises caught hers off-guard, and she felt compelled suddenly to growl, tackle the girl before her, and dominate her like she was Lilly's personal slave, her own possession. It was such a regal, powerful, royal shade of sapphire blue, one that looked so much more divine than her own dull blue eyes, the ones that should have been more periwinkle in color but had long lost their shine, their glow. The sheer intensity in the brunette's eyes was captivating, alluring, and so unforgivingly powerful that Lilly had to use every ounce of self-control to break the contact and look down at the history book, the purple cover no longer seeming the royal purple it had been a mere moment before; everything around her had paled in comparison to the girl's eyes, for Lilly had never seen the fiery blaze roaring behind any pair of eyes that Miley's had betrayed. Tantalizing, hypnotic, almost as if beckoning her forward.

Wait. She had to be seeing things. Eyes couldn't talk like that. She glanced back up, and the eyes had faded back to the soft gray they had been a few moments earlier. Phew. She could chock it all up to imagining some sort of illusion in the tutor's eyes. That had to be it. An illusion. Nobody could ever look that way, have that kind of fiery compassion and determination, that kind of fullness and emptiness swallowed together by each other, a virtual yin-yang of energy and sophistication and powerlessness and despair, nobody's eyes could withhold that much information and yet produce it so vastly. It was not possible. The eyes were like lightbulbs, and would burn out if they were charged with that much thunder.

Then why was it the strange, slightly uncomfortable feeling of raised hairs on the back of her neck and a frigid chill raping the center of her spine failed to cease and desist?

"Right. History. Um...we've made it from Ancient Egypt all the way forward in time to about year One B.C. It's mostly talk about dead people and things that they did."

"Well, yeah. That's history for you," Miley said calmly, nothing like the emotion her eyes had held for that brief second. The emotion Lilly had merely imagined. Right?

"So how do I study all this information?"

"Simple. The Egyptians had the pyramids, the Chinese had the Great Wall and Genghis Khan, the Japanese had samurais and the Bushido code, the Greeks always warred with the Romans, and the true history of the world didn't technically begin until about two-thousand years ago, when people started writing things down. That's when Europe became more civilized, per se, and finally developed great works of literature."

"So...that's it? That's all I have to remember?"

"Well, sure. I mean, granted, there's more on the final than that, but if you can remember those basic events and some small, fill-in-the-gap information bits, then you're good to go."

"Wow. That was easier than I thought."

"What do you need for English?"

"I...can't do that one."

"Why not?"

"He...asked us...to bring in a piece to read aloud to the class. One that we've written in the past semester."

"What kind?"

"Poetry."

"About?"

"Anything."

"What's so wrong with that?"

Lilly hesitated. Could she trust this girl, after everything she'd done? Was she ready to accept her apology, just two short hours after it had been given? Or would she refute the apology and just tell the girl on the condition that not a word of it was breathed to another? She would have to test the waters a bit.

"Well...truthfully, my writing has dwindled a bit recently...my major writing streak was the end of freshman year through summer."

"Oh. Well, that's not so bad. You can come up with something over the weekend, right?"

"I...I have something already, but..."

"But?"

"It's very, very personal."

Silence. Then, "M-may I ask what it's about?"

A pause. "My life...since I moved into the high-school level amid the...the hurt," she finished pointedly, not sure if she could trust Miley with the poem.

"You mean...after what I did?"

"Well...as a result, I guess."

Another pause. "M-may I r-read it?"

Lilly chose her words very carefully, something that taxed her brain a bit more heavily than it should; she usually chose to be sporadic and spontaneous, not guarded and secretive. It just didn't jive with her style.

"I don't know that I can trust you enough to let you see that side of me," she replied slowly. Miley hung her head.

"I feel so guilty...I feel like I...I need to know w-what it is I did to you...for all this time."

"You fucked me up," she said simply, quietly. It was the truth as she saw it. Apparently, it was the general consensus with Miley as well: she had stopped moving every single particle of her body, abandoning the twining of hair for the quiet, regretful physique of silence and stillness.

"I...I wish I could take it back."

"Why bother? You always tried back then, too, and I fell for it every time."

"B-but...I tried...r-right?"

"And yet, I always ended up being lied to just one more time."

Miley sighed. "Lilly...can we please just...move on, maybe? Even if you don't forgive me? I...I want to make it up to you...I want to know what it did to you inside, s-so I can try and f-fix it."

Lilly sat for a moment, watching the top of the brunette's head, the chocolate waterfall lazily looping and twisting and curling its way down to the very tips of its being. She huffed, then stood up.

"I guess I'm going to fall for it again," she muttered. The small packet of paper was gently extricated from her desk drawer, from which place it was then transferred gently to Miley's lap, but not before a forewarning struck the brunette in the chest as she raised her head to look at the outstretched hand and papers before her.

"Miley. Nobody, ever, _ever_, has read anything I've written here. Nobody. You hear me?"

She nodded, paying close attention to Lilly's words.

"I want nothing of this to be breathed to the outside. What you read here is confidential, incredibly private, and emotionally unstable. It's basically me pouring myself onto a paper in thirteen stanzas of sonnets. Nobody can know of this, ever. Clear?"

She swallowed, the weight of the responsibility pushing her shoulders down a bit. She nodded, very tiny movements of her head, her eyes, so brown and clear, locked with Lilly's. The blonde could not deny that Miley would keep her word this time. She hadn't been able to know back in her youth that the playful gleam in her eye had betrayed her true intentions, and that it was all a joke to her. There was no gleam, there was no glimmer, only a heavily guarded, just barely visible around the edges, sense of nervousness and fear.

The packet landed in her lap with a light flump. Following that, there were several long, tense moments of silence. Lilly had scooted across her bed and had laid her arms on the windowsill, her eyes gazing out into the yard, looking forlornly at the gray sky overhead, the clouds blocking the sun jealously, wanting the warmth all for themselves. It was fascinating to Lilly to watch the clouds go by, as it gave her so much inspiration, so much elation, a sense of both insecurity and cozy comfort. She could not deny that the movements of the heavens were as foreign to her as Asia, but just the appearance and movement of the fluffy pillow-like apparitions was joy to the blonde, she who could get lost in the gray, heavenly dream-land overhead.

The gentle flump of paper landing on blanket met her ears, but she refrained from turning around. Miley would say something when the time was right, wouldn't she? Then why was there suddenly a sliding noise, followed by feet landing on the floor? Why did she hear books being shuffled into a backpack? Why did she hear a small sniffle?

She had to turn, had to see what was going on. Miley's gaze was instantly joined with hers and she stopped moving, the backpack slung over her shoulder. The brown in her eyes had changed to a gray color again, the same color as the clouds outside. She blinked slowly, standing there quietly, looking at Lilly for what felt like eternity.

"Lilly," she croaked. "It...it was the most beautiful thing I've ever read." She sniffed again. "I think I understand now...what it's like for you."

"You can never understand," Lilly growled coldly. She snatched the packet back up and slid it into the drawer of her desk again, slamming it shut. She whirled to find Miley once again staring at her. She looked torn about something.

"Lilly...You're right. I don't understand. I can't understand. But...I want to try."

"Why?" Lilly demanded.

"Because I feel a...a need inside me. I need to do this."

"But why?"

"Just...because." She flexed her arm, repositioning the backpack on her shoulder in the process. "I'll s-see you around, Lilly. If you ever need help again, you know who to ask..."

She sauntered quietly out the door. Lilly moved to follow her, but stopped on the threshold of her room. And as though in a hypnotic trance, she watched the brunette walk down the hall and turn to the left to get back into the living room, dabbing the end of the left sleeve on her jacket against the bottom of her eyes. A moment later, the front door opened and shut, and the noise of a car driving away met Lilly's ears. She stood at her door, motionless and silent, for a very long time.

* * *

**_I purposely left what happened to these two out of context. Their story will be told in a later chapter, when she explains everything to her mother. Oh yeah, that's going to be one hell of a confrontation. Anyways, read and review. Love you guys. :) ~Kyttin_**


	4. Reliving The Hell

**_A/N: This chapter is a bit more chunky in terms of paragraphs; more is said without words, better described than dialogued out. Sorry if you want them to talk more in this chapter, but here's the good news: I (kinda) splained what happened to them. You wanted to know and I could think of no better thing to write for a chapter than this, so here you go!_**

**_GlisteningShadow: Thanks for the +fav! I'm glad you're loving the story, although I have to disagree a bit with my 'admirable and intelligent' syntax. I'm just a writer, dude, not a professional. XD But thanks for the comment anyways. It made me want to write another chapter all-of-a-sudden. Not to say others didn't, but yours was the first and poked me the hardest._**

**_desertstormx: Ah, but if you think parent's can't give up on their children, perhaps you should talk to my father. He's given up on my brother and seems convinced that none of us three children are going to become anything in this world. I think it's rather comical, actually, and I don't mind; it just goes to show how blind he is. That's part of the reason I'm writing this story: to esplain a bit of how some minds think, and that some people are more troubled than they let on (like me, although I try to smile and not let it get to me). Do you think Lilly can prove to her father what I believe I can prove to mine: that he's wrong and ignorant? :)_**

**_Morbid Crow: Not necessarily. I never really specified what motive she had for wanting to tackle the girl. For all we know, she could have been pissed at what she saw. ;)_**

**_Havok452: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'll try to keep the updates coming, but understand that I'm a busy person with the attention span of a gnat. I will attempt to post a chapter as often as possible (hell, I don't even spell-check or grammar-check these things before I post them, I'm so eager to put them out) and keep readers interested. This is by far the most reviewed chapter I've ever had, I think...even more than The Angel Of Death or Pushed To Breaking Point._**

**_Also, thanks to eyes of passion for the +fav! It means a lot to me when you guys add my stories and chapters to your list, and even more so when you write reviews, even if I myself am often neglect to return the favor. ^.^'' Anyways, this Kyttin has chattered long enough. Enjoy the story I'm so slowly spinning for you. :)_**

* * *

Chapter 4: Reliving The Hell

The remainder of the weekend and the week that followed were nothing short of both boring and stressful for Lilly's brain. Every single one of the finals that she took taxed at her cognitive repertoire, but astonishingly, she had understood every single question except possibly one or two on the history final. She was at least proud of herself for knowing what the questions asked, even if she didn't always know the answers. Her study session with Miley on Saturday had been helpful, immensely so, but she believed it was all-together too short and that they hadn't covered enough information.

And once again, Lilly had been denied a Friday night out with her friends. She had received the entire day off as a result of taking her finals during the two days prior, but her parents were still mandating a strict, zero-freedom ruling; her computer had lost its power, her bass had been taken, everything that she could possibly do for fun had been robbed from her. Except the ability to write. And yet, she wasn't very keen on doing so.

Instead, as Saturday began and Lilly waited for Miley to arrive for a follow-up meeting, she had pulled her old, wooden art easel out of the closet and had placed a very large pad of very large sheets of paper upon it. A tray crafted from injection-molded black plastic hung from the paint rack on the easel, the entire expanse of shelves and specially-designed pockets lined with oil-based paints and paintbrushes of different thicknesses and uses. She was going to paint something, but even as she put the smock on, which surprisingly still fit after a year of non-use, she realized that she had no idea what she wanted to paint. There just wasn't any inspiration. Puzzling. She had never even really been all that good at working with the stuff. It just didn't ever flow the way she wanted it to. Then again, she'd only ever painted with water-colors. Oil paints, she knew, were much thicker and more stiff, and thus could not spread quite so easily over the canvas.

So then, what to paint? It would be easier to manipulate the paints with the brushes, and there was no fear of a mess on the smock or floor (the large, dirty bath towel used for such types of arts and crafts saw to that), so what was she waiting for?

Inspiration.

She had nothing to paint. There wasn't anything that had quite captured her attention. She gazed around her room, walked around and around the house, looking for something, _any_thing to paint, and there was nothing. Nothing but the empty stool which sat on the floor to the left and behind the easel, the perfect viewing angle for Lilly's eyes. She sighed. Perhaps she'd have to force some creativity into her painting. She suddenly remembered her mother's beautiful ornate bowl which sat on the dining-room table. She had just picked it up when there was a very light, almost unheard, knock at the front door. She crossed the kitchen and gently opened it to the sight of her tutor, an unreadable expression on her face. Lilly had only talked to the girl twice all week, but it hadn't taken her long to realize that Miley was very good at concealing her emotions. Even her eyes were void of readable expression: they were a soggy mix of all three colors Lilly had seen a week before that day in her bedroom. Even the feeling of wanting to jump upon the girl, however unexplainable and inexplicably wrong it may seem, was just barely niggling at the farest reach of her conscious mind.

"Oh, hey Miley," she greeted. She wondered distantly if her voice sounded dry.

"Hey Lilly," the brunette chirped in reply, her physique immediately brightening up and standing straighter. "Whatcha got there?"

"Oh, um...A bowl. I was going to try and paint something today since I can't do anything I would rather do. You, um...don't need to be here if you don't want. Finals are over."

Miley couldn't hide the flash of hurt that struck her features, but she remained as calm and light-hearted as ever. "Well, we _did _make this a follow-up, right? It doesn't have to be studying. We can just...talk," she suggested tentatively. Lilly felt her eyebrows furrow just the tiniest hint in suspicion, but perhaps Miley's intentions were actually what she said they were. The blonde backed out of the way, leaving the door standing open.

"Well, then, I'll not stop you from coming in," she conceded, striding off down the hall. She didn't really know how she felt about Miley being in her house. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but she didn't know that she really wanted the girl there anyways. It was a terribly confusing feeling to have.

"I never would have placed you as a painter," Miley commented upon entering the room. Lilly had since laid the bowl out on the stool, leaving Miley to perch on her swivel-chair behind the stool. From Lilly's perspective, she also had a very clear shot at painting Miley's curious face."

"It's not something I do often, and I don't usually like to talk about it," the blonde replied evenly, slotting up her first brush. It was a very thin brush, one intended for minute detail. Then again, did she really need to start with an outline? Couldn't she just put an image on the paper? Suddenly, she realized that she could, and with the large brush, she began painting, right in the center of the paper, just the way she'd been taught in her art class.

"Well, I think you should do it more often. You seem...relaxed. Peaceful, even."

Lilly scoffed, the brush wobbling just the tiniest bit, but making no mistake in its stroke. "Honestly, I'd prefer to write, and I already told you when the last time I did that was."

"Y-yeah," Miley mumbled, nodding. "Lilly, I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Miley," she warned, trying to stay calm and level-headed. "Not today. Not now."

The brunette swallowed, Lilly's eyes just barely glancing at her before returning to the gorgeous bowl before her. She nodded. Lilly switched to the small brush and began making light, lilting strokes on the background she'd painted. Oil paints were easier to keep on the page where she wanted them to stay, but they were far more difficult to gauge in terms of pressure and spread. It took a lot of adjusting from Lilly's normal way of stroking to create a similar result with the oils. She could see the small flaws in her art thusfar, even in such a premature state, but she wasn't displeased at all; nobody else could have ever noticed them, and she had no intention of stopping to change what she'd altered. Nobody would mind some obscure details that might not exist, right?

"So, um, Lilly...what are you going to do after high-school?"

"If I pass, you mean?"

"You'll pass," Miley said immediately. The amount of confidence in her voice caught Lilly by surprise, and she leaned out from behind the canvas, one eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"You will pass," she said again, still ever-confident in her answer.

"How do you know?"

"Lilly, you're not unintelligent. You know your stuff. It just takes a little bit to refresh your brain. You'll pass, trust me. Jackson passed, and he's probably not quite as smart as you are."

Miley chuckled, but it sounded a bit forced to Lilly. She'd only heard of Miley's older brother by name, though he had left the high-school one year prior and she'd not heard a word about him since. Rumor had it that he hadn't ever been very successful in anything he'd done. She shrugged.

"Eh. If I pass, I pass. If I don't, there's summer school. Just another opportunity to call me stupid."

Lilly had planned on an angry outburst from herself and had left a single sheet of white printer paper on the small table beside her, which also housed a bowl of water to clean her brushes and a piece of dark lead that could be used for outlining. In her anger, she slashed a large, red line across the paper, then dunked the brush in the water, staining it the color of blood. She looked back to Miley, only to notice that the girl was looking at her strangely.

"Something wrong?" Lilly asked?

"Your reaction to that word. Stupid."

Lilly cringed. Even if it was just a word, and not one directed at her for once, she still felt the weight of the word on her chest. So much could be carried and demonstrated by one simple word, and Lilly felt the old pains resurface for just a moment, just long enough for her to need to take a reassuring breath. When she reopened her eyes, she was met by Miley's, full of concern and curiosity.

"It's...I just don't like the word."

Miley nodded slowly. "I'll try not to use it, alright?"

Lilly nearly balked. She didn't even hang out with this girl in school, had hated her for the better part of her life, and now was being soothed by her? Not only that, but this girl wouldn't use a word she hated? What was going on? She shook herself mentally and refocused on the painting. She needed to finish, and she knew how to do it. The brush re-entered her hand confidently, every stroke and flick and dab executed with the fluidity and grace of a professional, the strokes reflecting a tantalizing awakening of passion and newfound ability. Lilly was mildly impressed with what she'd accomplished so far.

"Miley, why are you offering not to use the word?"

"Because you don't like it. I feel like I'm doing you a tiny bit of justice by making your life just a little bit easier by not having to hear me say it when everyone else does."

_When everyone else does. _The words bit Lilly hard and her brush bobbled violently, though thankfully was too far from the paper at that instant to have left a mark. Miley had slapped her in the face once again, whether or not she meant it, and Lilly's emotions were beginning to bubble and froth. She didn't want to lose it and get angry, but it seemed that she was doomed to fall into herself again. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"W-well...thanks," she mumbled, struggling to maintain calm.

"Lilly, if there's anything I can do for you, just let me know, alright?"

"I-I'll try" was the quiet response. Her brush tentatively began painting again, the painting coming to life virtually of its own vices. The colors were so rich and vibrant, it almost seemed to cease existing as a painting and pop off the page into reality, so vivid and exotic and perfect were the strokes and flows. It was gorgeous to Lilly's eye, and she was going to make every last part of it that way, even as she worked her way both up and down the page to create the image.

"How's it going over there?" Miley called gently, her chin resting on her arms as they lay crossed over the back of the chair; she was sitting in the swivel-chair backwards, her legs splayed a bit to compensate for the plush black seat-back she was using for a makeshift pillow.

"Fairly well," Lilly replied, glancing back at the brunette before looking once again to the bowl. She was getting excited with the way the artwork was turning out. "I might even have it finished for you very soon," she replied.

"For me?" Miley asked incredulously. Lilly half-smiled and nodded. But why _was _she doing this for Miley? Hadn't Miley only given her flak and grief up until then? Why would she want to do something for her? Maybe because Miley's short two hours of help had essentially answered all the questions on her finals for her? Or maybe because she was slowly coming to forgive Miley? She didn't want to believe in the latter, and so chose the former as her reason.

"Yeah...I just want to thank you for the studying on Saturday. It really wasn't necessary, and I should have been able to get it all on my own."

"Lilly, don't worry about it. The help was my way of apologizing," she said quietly. Lilly sighed.

"Right...d-do we want to talk about this now?"

Miley hesitated. Lilly idly stroked more onto the paper, wanting the finishing touches to be nothing short of perfection. She was proud of what she'd accomplished and was eager to show the other girl, but if they were going to have an uncomfortable discussion, she would have to at least finish the painting now before it started before she got into the heart of the matter and totally lost interest.

"Lilly...I won't say anything if you don't want to talk."

She flicked her brush a couple more times, adding some light speckles to the painting, then dropped it into the water. The smock came off and she moved to sit on the bed, letting the oil dry on the paper. She dusted her hands off lightly and sighed.

"Alright. Talk."

Miley looked a bit unsure of herself, but she spoke, something that Lilly was both desiring and dreading. "L-Lilly...I can't expect you to understand everything I did when we were younger, and I can't expect you to understand why, b-but...I'm so, so sorry. I...I was only a kid. I could never have known that it would have led to the you that you've turned into. If I had known then what I know now, I never would have considered doing any of those dreadful things."

She had tried. Lilly could at least see that. But it hurt. It still hurt. The blonde cleared her throat. "Miley...I wanted to be your friend back then. I looked up to you. I respected you. You were a nice person, an amazing person."

"You shouldn't have done that, Lilly," Miley sighed miserably. "I'm not a good person. I never was. I'm not someone to look up to."

"Someone who's on every possible sports team and who works day and night to keep her grades up and the school functioning is something most people can look up to with a great deal of reverence and respect. Even back then, the day it all started, I was wanting to call you my friend. We were six. I told you about my defect. I _told _you, confided in you, that I had nearly died at birth. I let you know my deepest secret, the one that I had been born dead, that a bit of my brain had died, and you turned it against me that same afternoon. I thought it would get your attention. You apparently thought that telling everyone that I was retarded was a better way to make use of the information."

"Lilly..." Miley moaned. She looked very uncomfortable, very upset, and very ashamed. "I-"

"Then everyone started playing ring around the rosie. I still hear them chanting to this day, Miley," she said, her throat constricting. "'Lilly is stupid, Lilly is stupid, Lilly is stupid.' I believe every word that class said, Miley. You started it. I believe what they said is true. That's why I hate the word. Now my parents, my own _parents _call me stupid just because I don't learn right, or I don't think right, or just because something in here," she said, raising her voice slightly, tapping the side of her head, "is broken. I can't help that I'm broken. But you thought it was funny.

"Then you began playing pranks on me. You gave me the wrong answers on tests, knowing I'd use them again and again and flunk. You glued the toilet seats to my butt, you dumped dirt and worms and bugs into my backpack, you even snuck up behind me and clipped off some of my hair with scissors. You had me scared for my life that you'd be waiting around every corner, waiting to torment me and take it further, keep pushing me until I went insane. And I did go insane, Miley. You pushed me farther than I thought I could go, and even now. Even now, Miley Stewart...I still haven't come back. I'm a fucking mess. I'm depressed. I've smoked weed, I've used crack. Beer is comfort for me. Even slashing my wrists is better than thinking about it all." She held up her wrists, the darkened scars showing prominently on her pale skin, her most recent three still slightly scabbed and healing. "The only thing I've managed to stay away from is the sex, and even that has been incredibly tempting sometimes. Anything I can do to get rid of the hurt is good enough for me. It doesn't matter how the deal is done, so long as it's taken care of until it comes back again. All I wanted was to be your friend. What I became is a monster."

She stared determinedly at the brunette girl sitting on her chair, who had her eyes closed. Her every breath was shaky, her every movement seemed strained and fully aware of how much damage she had truly caused. Lilly could only imagine her brain as it ran through every single uncountable prank that she'd pulled on Lilly, every single little thing she'd done all through their elementary years, every little scar she'd inflicted on the poor girl's mind, scars that haunted her more with each passing day. They both knew, Lilly could see, that she was right: Miley had told the class that she was born stupid, and it had destroyed her before she was even able to understand the concept of depression.

Miley sat, unspeaking, unmoving, her eyes shut tight. Lilly stood and gently pulled the piece of paper out of the stack she'd placed on the easel, gazing at her handiwork. It was still beautiful, still exactly perfect the way she'd intended, and it had dried onto the paper, forming a hard, permanent imprint of her mind's creation upon the page.

"Do you want to know what's sad about all of this, Miley?" Lilly asked, still gazing at the paper as she sidled slowly over to the bed. She merely leaned against the side of the tall mattress, not bothering to hop back up into the indent she'd left with her body and crossed legs. "What's so terribly sad in all of this is that I kept on trusting you, that I kept respecting you, that I hoped somewhere deep down there was a good person, someone I could look up to, someone my own age that could inspire me to be smarter, to study, to become an educated person. That hope, that dream, still hasn't left me," she said slowly, watching Miley's eyes flutter as she breathed deeply. "It hasn't left me even to this day. Even last Saturday when I didn't accept your apology. I still haven't. You've given me no reason to. What you did then was because I asked. I haven't accepted your apology because the pain is too great. But...I can at least show my appreciation and hope, hope beyond hope, that I'm not wrong in wanting to believe again."

She turned the painting away from her face and toward Miley's, and she heard the brunette gasp (the top of the canvas obstructed Lilly's view of the girl's face). A tentative hand reached out and stroked the paper.

"You...didn't paint the bowl," she commented, her throat creating a raspy noise like dry leaves scudding on pavement.

"No. Can you tell me what it is?"

"I-It's...M-me..."

"Look at your hair, Miley. See the curl? See how perfect it is? See those perfect, luscious, poofy lips that boys would kill to claim with their own? See how perfect they are? See the nose, just turned up the slightest bit and dusted with freckles? See how perfect it is? Or how about the eyes? That color is how your eyes looked for a brief moment on Saturday, and I will never forget that color until the day I die because it is perfect. That's the point I'm trying to make here, Miley. No matter how much I may hate you, I think you're still the image of perfection, even if you've managed to destroy me inside and out. You're still perfect after all that, and isn't that amazing?"

Lilly was taunting her now, but she had painted the portrait with the intention of showing Miley the way she saw her, as perfection carved by angels and goddesses that has slaved away for hours on the end result that had been given unto earth. It was a satisfying feeling to Lilly to know that Miley was crumpling inside, knowing that the painting was a perfect reflection of the perfect girl, that it was only perfect in beauty and not in action. Lilly's mind still believed that Miley was perfect in looks and in thoughts, no matter what others could say or believe. She had a stubborn mind that would not change easily.

Miley gazed at the picture, even dragged it out of Lilly's hands. Lilly watched her pour over the most minute of details, the gentle curves, the hair, the eyes, the face, the neck, everything. Lilly had only drawn a bust of her, with the shoulders and upper chest in sight, had filled the paper and proportioned everything according to the real image that sat before her in the form of Miley Stewart, and was proud to rub the artwork in the girl's face, to tell her just how it felt to be the one with all the broken feelings and broken brains. She hated thinking she was broken or stupid or anything of a similar whim, but the dizzied look Miley had on her face was priceless and at least made up for some of it. She had slapped Miley right in the face with everything that she'd done, with everything that Lilly knew and thought and believed, and she'd done it so that the brunette was forced into the light, forced to realize her wrongs, forced to realize that she could never truly fix what she'd broken, and that Lilly could never accept her apology, ever. It was a heart-breaking thought, even to Lilly, who wasn't the one reliving her past, but if she could make Miley suffer into understanding, then that was all she really wanted.

"L-Lilly..." Miley tried, swallowing dryly. She had never known what she'd done to the girl all those years ago in grade-school. Lilly could almost see the sobering movie playing behind the brunette's eyes. It was so tantalizingly sweet to know that Miley finally realized the error of her ways, only to figure out that there was no mercy, no way of fixing what she'd done. The damage was permanent and final.

"Lilly...I..."

The blonde watched as she held out the paper, her eyes betraying her inner cataclysm, the fissure that had ruptured her way of thinking, her beliefs and thoughts and motifs and everything she'd ever known coming to a screeching halt as they attempted to reverse, to right the wrongs, to relive the past and change her actions. And Lilly watched with satisfaction as Miley's face grew more and more helpless. The painting landed on the bed.

"I'll get it framed for you, Miley, as a reminder," Lilly stated coldly. She moved back to the easel and began cleaning up. A sniff followed her.

"Lilly..."

"What is it, Miley? What could you possibly say to make this any better?"

The satisfaction was bittersweet. She loved that Miley finally knew of her pain, but was loathe herself to relive it. The easel and art pad found their spots in the closet alongside the paint rack. She stepped back out and turned, her gaze locking with Miley's. She looked so sullen, so broken, and it was without another moment of control that she finally broke down into a sobbing river of tears. Lilly rolled her eyes. She was the one crying? After Lilly had dealt with all the pain? What the hell did _she _have to cry about? _She_ wasn't stupid. _She _lived the perfect life and was captain of everything. Lilly had been left with nothing to look forward to, no motivation or inspiration, just a shell of what she should have been. The painting had been a far step out of her rigid comfort zone limits, and she was quickly reverting to her usual self: someone who could care less about others, who wanted nothing but for everyone to leave her alone, who had no interest in hearing anyone's crap. They could all take it and shove it up their asses. It made no difference to her. What did she ever have to give a fuck about? The sobbing girl in the chair was just another piece of collateral damage in her day, just another prospect to try and drag her already-crappy mood down further. She grabbed the bowl of water and dumped it in the bathroom sink, then returned to the bedroom and stacked the smaller bowl inside the larger one, carrying the stack in one hand, the folding table and stool resting in the other. Fuck Miley. If she wanted to cry, fine. She could have all the space and sob-time that she wanted. Lilly wasn't going to disturb her. The stool found its way back into the kitchen in the corner, right in front of the folding chair. The ornate bowl landed on the table and the water bowl landed in the sink. Lilly was just beginning to rinse the smaller bowl when she heard the front door open, pause, then close. Seconds later, a car door slammed and the engine started, and the vehicle roared away and down the street. Good. She was gone. That meant peace and quiet for Lilly; her mom had taken her brother off to a birthday party, then was getting her nails done at the salon, while her father had gone to some sort of auto show, leaving the whole house alone to Lilly. The bowl was cleaned and returned to its spot in one of the overhead cabinets while Lilly dried her hands. The towel flew backward and landed on the sink faucet, the blonde hair bouncing irritably in the air as she strode back to her bathroom. She needed release from the pain, and only one shiny object could give it to her.

Never before had the red vengeance looked so good to Lilly's eyes.

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**_If the ending is confusing, remember: she went into the bathroom looking for something shiny. The end result was red for two reasons. See if you can figure them out. Be sure to click the review button below; it keeps me motivated, more than you know. :) ~Kyttin_**


	5. Sunday, Rainy Sunday

**_A/N: In the past twenty-four hours, I've received nineteen emails regarding +favs, +watches, and reviews for this story, just because of that one chapter. Holy freakin cow! I must say, I almost fell out of my chair when I got nine of them this morning, but to have nineteen in one day is astounding. I HAD to update for you guys because that much attention deserves an update rather quickly._**

**_Morbid Crow: Oh, you think it's messy now? Then tell me what you think after you read this chapter. It's a bit shorter than the others, but believe me, it'll throw just one more kink into the mix. As if Lilly's life wasn't hard enough already. _**

**_GlisteningShadow: Exactly how to use them? Powerful vocab? Dude, I doubt my vocabulary reaches 10,000 words. It's not impressive. As for knowing how to use them, that's also questionable. But I had to laugh at what you said: Fanfiction writers are indeed better than the writers of the published books on the shelves. I've read more words and pages here than I've read in any book in the past year. As for the chapter, there's actually a dual meaning in the painting. See if you can find the subtle clues I left. Reread the summary if you need to. ;)_**

**_desertstormx: She...doesn't want to hurt Miley, just to make her understand. Kinda. Well, okay, I guess she does want SOME revenge, but Lilly's not the kind of person to wish that someone else were retarded just because she's not quite the sharpest tool in the shed. As for her parents, try thinking about it from their point of view: their daughter seems to be lazy, incompetent, and greedy. I mean, hell, she stole some schnapps from the fridge! That's something I would do, for crying out loud! Given, I'm not stupid, but Lilly's parents aren't 100% wrong._**

**_Truscott: I'm glad you're at least appreciating the writing. I've seen your username on other stories, and I might have read something by you (I do a LOT of HM fanfic reading, mostly the Liley stuff), so it's actually a bit of an ego-booster to see you commenting on my humble story. I'll be perfectly honest and straightforward and say that I've gotten more attention on just this short little thing than I ever did on my other Hannah story or my Jimmy Neutron story. I just might have to stick with this one and see where it'll go._**

**_..Hale.: I'm glad you like it. Remember, it's a slightly AU story, meaning that I've kinda opened the door a bit to play around with how the characters develop and how they were raised. But I'm very glad you like the reading; it means a lot to me. _**

**_Also, thanks to Maxfergus, Akirachi, Mr Magi, Truscott, boydiie, pattiRISHA, ..Hale., Isla6, and Backoff2069 for the +watchies (I realize that I used to call it a +fav, but that was wrong) and to Truscott and BigB23Marie-re for the +favs. You guys are awesome. Hopefully you'll post some reviews for this chapter, huh? Oh, don't let me forget mandyluvsmusic, pattiRISHA, and ..Hale. for adding me to your lists of +authors! That's even more amazing!_**

**_ALERT: I won't be able to post anything until I get back in town on Monday night, and I may or may not have something then, but I will definitely work my hardest to write something. I need to update both this story and The Angel Of Death; if I can just muddle through Chapter 8 and get ready for all hell to break loose, then Chapter 9 will be an easy write, and Chapter 10 will close off that book. After that, it will be some time before I begin its sequel, which will have nowhere near the word-count per chapter. Sorry, but 10,000 words in one chapter is a lot of ideas and writing to go through. It's very taxing on the brain._**

**_Enough of me. Here's the chapter, the buttons are at the bottom, go ahead and take a whack at it! :)_**

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Chapter 5: Sunday, Rainy Sunday

The rain beat down on Lilly's soaked hair, but she ignored it. Just another miserable Sunday afternoon. Everyone who thought California was paradise was out of their fucking mind. It was anything but paradise. It rained. It was always smoggy. It even had earthquakes that killed people. Nobody in their right mind could see a place that was more dreary than it was dreamy as a wonderland. It sucked. Especially on a day with rain. And Lilly had only a thin jacket that was already soaked through and plastered to her body. She shivered. Why she had ever decided to meet the guys at the park, she didn't know. None of them had showed except her, and she was too waterlogged to ride her board around. She was too cold to move, too numb to think, and she just sat at the park on the bench beside the large, rapidly-filling bowl that she loved to flip and grind and jump on. It was her heaven, and it was turning into a swimming pool. Yeah, well, fuck the rain. What good had it ever done to her?

She shivered again. Why did the rain always have to ruin what should have been a great day? Granted, she also had the following day off of school as a holiday, but for crying out loud, the least the weatherman could have done was his freaking _job_. Lilly would have been spared the trouble. She would no longer be soaked. And yet, she felt betrayed a bit by that man with the nicely-styled hair on her television that morning saying that the weather would be sunny with a high of seventy-five. Yeah. Right.

Cars drove by, slower since it was raining. She wished her jacket had a hood, just to stop the incessant pounding of rain on her head. It was annoying and irritating. Like little prodding fingers of little prodding children who were little prodding twits. Lilly hated it. She hated them all. Fuck the stupid weatherman for giving her lies. Fuck the guys for abandoning her at the park. Fuck the rain for ruining her day. She huffed, almost inaudible over the rain. She was in a 'fuck-it-all' mood, and she'd give the world what it'd given her.

She heard a car honk nearby. The street wasn't very busy, but then again more crazy people were likely to be joining the traffic, now that it was around lunchtime. Lilly hung her head, not wanting to move, wanting the rain to stop and her body to dry and warm. She wanted food. She wanted comfort. But worst of all, she didn't want any of it at all.

The honk met her ears again, two short pumps on the horn. She turned absently and gazed at a small blue four-seater sedan parked on the side of the road by the park. She stood and turned, her board held in her hand tightly, like a weapon. It could hit pretty hard if she needed it to. The sedan waited, and the window rolled down just the slightest bit.

"Hey!" a voice called. "You need a ride?"

Lilly shook her head vigorously in the rain, not saying a word. The car's occupant shook its head.

"Lilly, get over here," it called. The blonde froze in her tracks.

"Who are you and how do you know me?"

The driver's door opened and out stepped a figure holding a small, black umbrella. It wore a white jacket and dark jeans. The figure opened the passenger door and beckoned hurriedly for Lilly to get in. She slowly, cautiously, approached the stranger and the car. However, as she got closer, she saw that it was not a stranger at all.

"Miley? What the hell do you want?"

"To get you out of this rain," she replied simply. They stood far enough away that they still had to raise their voices over the rain to cover the distance.

"Why would you want that?"

"Because I don't want you getting sick."

Lilly scoffed. "I'll believe that when I accept your apology," she said harshly. Miley bit her lip.

"Lilly, please, get in."

The blonde hesitated. Could she really comply with Miley's demand? Was it safe? After everything the brunette had done to scar her for life, was she finally turning over a new leaf?

She wouldn't ever know unless she gave her a chance, right?

She sighed and stepped closer. "No funny business, Miley," she warned. She lifted up her skateboard to make her point. Miley nodded seriously, holding the umbrella over the doorway to block the rain. Lilly stepped gratefully into the vehicle, a towel spread over the seat to collect the water from her clothing and body. She shivered as the door shut and let her skateboard rest, propped from the floor to her knees on the seat. She suddenly realized how cold she was, how wet she had gotten, and was immensely thankful for the relief of the tittering droplets.

Miley slid into her side of the car, her head covered in water, the umbrella landing behind her seat in a wet, soggy heap of steel and canvas. She shivered and started the car, the engine humming to life calmly, the heater blowing welcome amounts of warm air into the cabin. Lilly shivered again as her clothes were pressed onto her soaking body even further.

"Why don't we get you to my place and change you into some dry clothes?"

"To your place? My clothes aren't there."

"I know. But you're about my size, right?"

"Miley, no," she said flatly. "You're already giving me a ride for God-knows-why, now you're going to loan me your clothes? No. The tutoring was enough. You've done what I asked you to."

Miley gazed out the windshield, the wipers struggling to keep the rain from obscuring her view of the slippery road ahead. She blinked, then glanced at Lilly.

"I'm not doing this as part of the tutor's job, Lilly."

"Why, then?"

"Because I want to help you. I want...to fix it."

Lilly felt her chest constrict. She inwardly gave God the middle finger. Hadn't she dealt with enough of the pain from her past for one weekend? She drew a shaky breath, fighting to stay calm and collected.

"Miley, you need to stop thinking that you need to make it better. It's not some scratch on my skin that can be covered with a bandage. It's not something that you can fix. You already did the damage a long time ago, and that's the way it was meant to be. I'm not going to be able to change just because you want to make it all better for me."

The brunette's eyes grew a bit more wet and shiny, the moisture reflecting from the headlights as their beams cast two yellow trails over the darkened road ahead, the ominous clouds looming darkly overhead. It sucked to drive in the rain, Lilly knew, but she was stuck along for whatever ride Miley had planned out for them.

"Lilly...I know that I hurt you...And you may not think it can be fixed, but...I'd at least like to try."

"You'd like to try now? After all these years when you had the chance?"

Lilly had a point. Miley was stung and ashamed, that much was clear. Her eyes were brown and wet, and her rate of blinking increased. Lilly could tell that she was on the verge of tears, but it made her no happier to think of. More water on a day with thunderclouds overhead was asking for trouble.

"I...I didn't know, Lilly."

"Yeah, I'll say. Never bothered to fucking find out either, did you?"

"I thought it was just part of being a kid! I thought it was all good fun for you too!"

"Did I ever once get you back?" she pointed out. "Didn't I tell you to stop it? Didn't I _say, repeatedly_,that I wanted to be your friend? That I didn't like what you were doing?"

Miley gulped and nodded, still gazing determinedly out the windshield. "I should have listened to you and I didn't."

"You're right. You didn't. And look what the hell happened because of it."

Another gulp and a flurry of blinks, but the first tear dripped from Miley's eye. She wiped it with her sleeve, visibly shaken and irritated at herself. Lilly could feel the irritation directed in part at her, too, but it wasn't anything she cared to change. Let Miley be angry. She deserved a taste of her own medicine.

"L-Lilly," she tried. "I...I think you should know that I...I didn't do anything b-because I hated you. I w-was...I was jealous, Lilly."

"Jealous? Of me? Bullshit."

"No, it's true!" she cried, wiping her eyes. "I wanted to be like you so badly, to be so nice and caring and have no worries or cares in the world, but I had all the pressures of an eighth-grader on me as a sixth-grader. And now I'm a sophomore dealing with college-level stuff from everyone, and I'm just barely making it out alive with everything. I just wish I could be like you, that I could have been like you back then, with not a care in the world. I want that feeling so badly, Lilly, I ache for it. I just want one day where I don't have to worry about a single thing, the way you always lived, the way I wanted to live."

Lilly was a bit stunned, but made a fairly quick recovery. "Great. So you were jealous of me. Did you ever think that maybe you could have talked to me about it?"

"I didn't want to. I couldn't. It would have confused you and left you angry and unsure of yourself."

"Right. So poking fun at me and making me out to be a hapless idiot was the right way to go. Gee, thanks Miley, that makes me feel so much better," she drawled.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Lilly!"

"Then what the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't!"

"Yeah, obviously!"

Miley came to a gentle, controlled stop at a red light and laid her head on the steering wheel, letting her arms drop. She began sobbing, letting the tears fall unashamedly from her eyes. Lilly crossed her arms and watched, angry with herself and the girl beside her. She should have known that Miley was only out for innocent fun and games, but it had affected her so badly that she still woke up in the middle of the night, afraid of what could happen to her. It was the reason she didn't have sex. It was the reason she didn't go to parties. It was the reason that the only person she could trust was herself, and she didn't even fully trust herself with her own life most days. She had slowly begun to deteriorate inside from all the stress and pain and suffering and had only ended up falling slowly down the tube as Miley made each passing day just one more stepping stone to descend into hell. Lilly didn't know which was worse: the Miley she'd known then, who had made every day a disaster in grade-school, or the Miley she'd been introduced to now, the one who insisted on trying to fix what wasn't fixable.

"Lilly, I wish you knew how truly sorry I am...I wish you knew how bad it hurts me inside to know that I let you down, to know that I messed you up and turned you into the person you are today. You must think I'm horrible and stupid and selfish and all kinds of bad things, but I don't want to be that kind of person anymore. I don't want you to know me as a horrible person. I want to be your friend, Lilly...one of the best you've ever had."

"Well, you kinda pissed that opportunity away a long time ago, Miley. You had a chance to fix it with me, and you blew it. Then you suddenly come back wanting to be my tutor. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

"I know, I know."

"No, you fucking don't! You don't get it at all, Miley! You're just the same as you were back then, someone who takes on way too much work and then gets back at other people to vent instead of taking time for herself! The only things you know how to do are bitch at others and fake a fucking promise!"

She watched her words bite deep into the brunette's skin and consciousness. The sobbing only continued. The light was still red, or had possibly been green at one point and then changed back. Lilly didn't know or care. All she knew was that she was finally able to tell the famous Miley Stewart how she really felt, and what it was really like to be called an outcast and a retard.

"I...I..."

"Save your breath, Miley. I'm gonna walk."

"No, stay!"

Lilly's hand faltered as she hesitated, her arm mid-reach for the handle. She gazed suspiciously back at Miley.

"What?"

"Please...stay...let's talk," she pleaded, her eyes large and brown, the pupils only slightly more expanded than normal.

"Fine," she sighed, dropping her arm. "Talk."

"L-Look," she started, drying her eyes and collecting herself. "I know I've been a bad person to you, a-and you're absolutely right about everything else, b-but that's why I've come back to you, Lilly. I...I want to live like you do, be like you are, be smart and charming and successful and, most importantly, care-free. Life always seemed so easy for you when we were kids, a-and now you're even more relaxed and at peace with everything. You're right. I grab hold of too many responsibilities, and I'm always stressed out. I'm never honest with anyone and I'm always grouchy and trying to get down their throats. Please, Lilly...I want to help you. I want to make things better. I want to be more like you."

She scoffed. "No, you don't. Miley, I'm a nobody. A zero. I'm a fucking retard."

"You are not," Miley replied dangerously.

"Have you seen my IEP? Have you seen my grades? How about my resource classes? They're full of special-ed kids, and I'm a special-ed kid with special-ed needs. I'm a fucking retard, Miley. I love those kids to death because they make me feel smart, like I can teach them something, but for God's sakes, please, don't ever assume I'm some brilliant work of perfection. I'm not. I'm the stupid kid at our school that everyone looks down at. It's just the way it is. I smoke pot, I do crack cocaine. I've considered heroin and ecstasy before. I slash my wrists, Miley, look," she said, holding out her left arm. The fresh cuts from the previous afternoon were still an angry red, swollen just barely shut. She could feel Miley's arm shaking as it held hers ever-so-gently in its grasp.

"Those are the things you did to me, Miley. You can't fix stupid, as my father says. Well, he's fucking right on that one. I was born a retard, and I'm never going to be anything more than a retard, so all that bullshit about being me or being jealous and wanting to live like I do doesn't fucking fly. As much as I would love to believe you and be able to prove my parents wrong about their idea of me being stupid and worthless, I know that it's what they expect of me, and it's what I've come to realize will become of me. In two years, they'll kick me to the curb, and that'll be it, Miley. Do you really want to live like that?"

The brunette was once again staring out the windshield. "Your parents are horrible, Lilly. They should never, _ever _say such things to one of their children."

Lilly felt the fury rise in her before she knew how to react, and she felt her right arm swing in a wide arc around the front of the cab and against Miley's cheek in a harsh, loud _slap!_ Miley blinked and gasped, her hand automatically rising to the spreading red mark that burned angrily on her skin. She looked slowly at Lilly, eyes wide and gray with shock.

"You...you hit me..."

"There's plenty more where that came from. I may not like my parents, Miley, but only I can say whether or not they should call their children retarded. If it's the truth, let it be known. You've no right to judge my family."

The words were filled with menace and blazing anger. Miley was slowly getting over the shock of the slap, but was still stunned speechless nonetheless. The red light flicked green, but there was nobody on the road that Lilly could see. The rain pelted the car, suddenly very loud in the silence of the car's interior. Miley blinked.

"Lilly..."

"Save your breath, Miley. Haven't you said enough already?"

"Lilly, please, I never meant to hurt you. Ever. No matter what it seemed."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Please, Lilly...I never meant any harm from any of it. I just...I was angry at you, that your life was so perfect. I didn't mind that you didn't have the best grades in the class. I just...wanted to be like you. I wanted everything to be simpler. I wanted to be able to forget my troubles. I wanted to just relax and enjoy the music once in a while. Like you. Your life is so much simpler than mien is."

"You think being called retarded is simple? I'm called in for discussion every month with my IEP and resource counselors to see how I'm doing. I'm constantly hounded for homework. I'm always told that I could do better, that I'm not good enough to stand on my own two feet. I'm always being told that I need to try harder, even when I'm giving every possible ounce of myself to the subject and teacher. I'm pushing myself as hard as I fucking can and nobody seems to realize it. Tell me, Miley, how is that easy? How is that simple? How is that a nice life where one can forget their troubles? Would you prefer to be retarded? The name-calling? The pain of knowing that you'll never be good enough? Is that what you want? Because I assure you, if I hit you square between the eyes and then once on each temple, it can all be fixed. You'll be just like me."

Lilly was struggling to hold her floodgates closed. It was very emotional for her to talk about herself as though she were someone else. It was also a bit difficult for her to articulate a lot of what she would have liked to say. She wasn't as stupid as everyone thought, but every IQ test she'd ever taken, every anything she'd done relating to brain research, all of it had only told her parents that she was defective, a broken toy on the shelf that some lonely kid had picked up in hope of fun and games and had really gotten shit in a box with a pretty wrapping. Lilly hated that feeling, that she was never good enough. Perhaps Miley could see. Perhaps she knew. Then again, perhaps not.

"Lilly...I don't want to be so high-strung anymore. I want the pain to melt away. I want to just let it all go, let everything become easier. When does it all become easier?"

Lilly slipped her hand into her pocket and drew out the shaving cartridge that had been in her razor the day before, six glittering steel blades gleaming in the light from the car's headlights.

"How badly do you want to know what it's like, Miley?"

She snapped one blade out of the cartridge, holding it with a familiar touch. She held it against her wrist, feeling the cold reassurance of the steel. Miley was watching, petrified, her eyes large and frightened.

"How badly do you want to know? I've got the blade, Miley. I can show you how to let it all go. It's what I do a few nights a week. Just to let it all go and get rid of the pain. It stops hurting after a while. But do you really want to find out what this is like?"

She gently pressed the blade against her wrist, just enough to draw a single drop of blood. There was no pain; she had long since hidden herself from the pain of slashing her wrists. Such a tiny amount of blood wouldn't even register in her mind. It dripped as she lifted the razor, the thin line leering red teeth up at Miley's terrified eyes. Lilly held out the blade, the blood glinting evilly on the edge.

"Do you really want to be like me, Miley?"

Lilly had posed it with a deadly serious inflection in her voice. Miley squeaked a bit and shied away from the blade, which was then reclipped into the cartridge and stowed in her pocket. She crossed her arms, letting the blood absorb into the fibers of her dark, wet jacket.

"I didn't fucking think so," she muttered. Miley just gazed at her, a deer caught in the headlights. She was utterly speechless. Good. Let her realize how truly deranged Lilly had become. It would serve her right. It would give her some sense of perspective. Lilly didn't give one iota how Miley felt. Fuck her. She had only essentially said the same thing right back to the blonde all those years ago, right?

The car rather suddenly began moving forward. Miley's foot had slipped off the brake. The light was still red. She realized what was happening and grabbed the steering wheel crazily. Lilly rolled her eyes.

"Smooth. Now you're trying to get us killed."

Right on cue.

The red truck smashed into the side of the small blue car, catching Lilly's door first and smashing her head against the glass of the window. The truck then went over the car, which rolled, slapping the top of her skull into the asphalt via the roof. And when the car landed upright again, it skidded wildly in a circle and wrapped itself around a nearby traffic pole, crushing the occupants inside. Lilly wearily opened her eyes as the car finally came to a halt and could just barely make out the shape of the red vehicle speeding away down the road. She blinked slowly and swiveled her head to look at Miley, the unconscious head lolling on her shoulders. Lilly could taste blood, the salty taste of anger and life mingling together to form the taste of death in her throat. She hated the taste. It was overwhelming her. Perhaps she had bitten her tongue.

Her eyes hurt. She wanted to sleep. She couldn't hear anything. There was a pole outside the car to her right, and white smoke billowed out from under the hood of the car. Her head throbbed and she watched her vision flicker black for a moment before coming back, her eyes open and looking around. She had to do something.

Her right arm was unresponsive, and she saw that her forearm had been snapped in half, the bone splintered and sticking out of the skin in a bloody mess of unintelligible fragments and shards. There was little pain, just the migraine that was crushing her head. She wished the squeezing vise would go away.

She had to get Miley to wake up. She pulled her tongue back into her mouth, a difficult chore from the taste, and the headache. It was so frustrating to be so sluggish and useless. Her left arm flew out and hit Miley's forehead. That did it. She stirred and looked around groggily, probably feeling the same way that Lilly did. Her temple had a nasty cut and her left cheek had the beginnings of a bruies forming from the impact with the window. Lilly could see that her left arm appeared just as limp as her own right arm, but Miley seemed not to notice the pain. She was white as a sheet, staring at Lilly as though she'd seen a ghost. Lilly didn't know what to think. Her tongue felt thick and alien in her mouth and she tried to form coherent speech, but it wasn't working. Finally, she managed a single word.

"Help."

And with that, the darkness finally crept past the edges of her vision, and stole her away in its evil clutches, the sounds of sirens and Miley's lamenting screams piercing the dark for a very long time.

* * *

**_Aww, what have I gone and done this time? I didn't mean to step into the story so suddenly, but I needed it to get loads more complicated. This shit's all gotta hit the fan before I can clean up the mess, right?_**

**_Read and review, if you can. I love every comment that you readers make, and I take every word into consideration. :)_**


	6. Awakening

**_A/N: I'm sitting in my truck after a weekend full of exhausting motorcycle riding out in the desert, and I just checked and received twenty-five emails just from this site, all pertaining to this story. Holy shit, guys. That totally made my weekend, on top of the already bitchin' time I had out on my bike. You guys rock. As a result, I managed to get two chapters done. I'm posting one up now, but I'll save the other for when I get home; mobile internet has a price._**

**_ChronoCresentFlames: Frame-of-mind? Which one? I'm glad that I'm doing such a good job, but I'm afraid I don't follow... :S_**

**_Truscott: I think you'd be surprised at what you can do if you gave yourself a shot. Following that, I'm glad to say that yes, I will keep going with this story. It was just supposed to be an idea, a concept for another work, but I'll turn it into something bigger and better by popular demand. I've had more emails for this story than ever for any of my others._**

**_megan: I'm adding more right now. :)_**

**_desertstormx: Yessssss! And while it's not quite the image I wanted to give you, at least you can connect with the character. :)_**

**_BigB23Marie-re: Oh, I have a direction. At least, I have one for now. I don't know where it'll end up, but I know what path I'm following, if that makes any sense._**

**_Morbid Crow: Ehehehe...I'm not killing anyone in this story...yet. :D_**

**_MayRey: What you've just read is my story. I'm guessing you liked it, judging by your reaction. I understand your English perfectly; I can understand and muddle through a lot of stuff that nobody else can ever seem to read. Everything will come together, for better or worse. If I find a place to end it, and I get a popular demand vote on the last few chapters, I may just have to oblige and create a sequel. ;)_**

**_SuperGravyMan: Ahaha, indeed it is. One of those industrial-sized warehouse fans used for blowing air currents at sixty miles per hour. I'm only giving out a limited amount of information, both to keep the story under wraps AND as part of Lilly's characterization. _**

**_Thanks to soccer-girl-7797, ChronoCresentFlames, Liley-Twilight-Lover, stephaniegaw, SuperGravyMan, MayRey, and karleen3863 for the +watches. Also, thanks to Liley-Twilight-Lover, karleen3863, MayRey, and Only By Night for the +favs. +watches and +favs for me or my stories doesn't matter, just the fact that you guys liked the story enough to want to follow it is aces in my books. I love all you guys._**

**_And now, to the story. :)_**

* * *

Chapter 6: Awakening

Voices. Mumblings. Things that she couldn't understand.

And yet, she was drawing closer and closer to a harsh, white light hidden from her view by pink curtains. She was coming to, and had no idea what the hell was going on.

Her eyes slid open and she gazed upward at a very painful, very bright fluorescent light structure in the ceiling. Beside the glowing bars resided a metal grille that was very gently dropping warm air onto her body. One thing was certain: Lilly Truscott was not dead from the crash.

She grunted and sat up, feeling a pain lance through the ribs on the right side of her body. Following that, another pain in her right arm, and stinging on her right leg. Her left side appeared to be entirely in-tact and uninjured, other than the crushing force of the blinding headache that was threatening to pop her brain under the pressure. She moaned and looked around, her cool left fingers resting against her left temple to try and deflect the pain.

She was sitting in a hospital bed, laying propped against a mountain of pillows, her body covered by a large, thick white comforter and several sheets. Her figure was clothed in a hospital gown, and she could feel the bed material on her exposed backside; she was stripped naked save for the paper-thin sheet the doctors called a gown. Her right arm was in a sling, but she didn't know the extent of the damage. She wondered if she wanted to know. Perhaps it was better that she didn't.

The heart monitor to her left beeped with every steady pulse her heart squeezed out. The IV drip beside the bed fed her water and nutrients to keep her alive and healthy. She was thankful that the doctors at least knew what they were doing. Beyond the monitor was a second bed in the same room, a curtain drawn around the occupant. The light overhead also showed Lilly that there was a trio of chairs sitting around her bed, though none of them were occupied. The television, small, black-and-white, and with a dial to start, flickered dimly as it attempted to play what looked to be a rerun of some sort of reality program. Lilly didn't care. She had an urge nestled in her gut and between her legs, and she could not ignore it for any longer.

She tried to move, to get up; the bathroom was on the opposite wall of the foot of her bed. The immense fatigue in her limbs kept her weighted and plastered to the bed, unable to move. She grunted and gave up. There had to be another solution.

"Hello?" she rasped. Her throat was dry and she felt incredibly thirsty.

"Hello?" she called. It hurt to strain her voice so, but to no avail; nobody responded to her call. She brought her left fist down in frustration, where it struck something hard protruding from the bed.

The plastic bar that stuck out from the left of the bed had an assortment of buttons on it, some to control the bed, others to call for nurses and such. She had conveniently smacked the nurse button, and in less than ten seconds, a thin, pale girl with dark hair and sparkling eyes came in. She looked to be about seventeen from her height and smiled radiantly at Lilly.

"I'm so glad to see you awake, Miss Truscott. What can I get for you?"

"Toilet," she tried. The nurse nodded and adjusted something on the bed. Her hand snaked under the covers from the left and moved slowly up Lilly's leg. Uncomfortable goosebumps broke out.

"Try tilting your pelvis up, Miss Truscott."

She lifted her butt and felt a soft plastic pad slide beneath it. Upon setting her body back down, a sort of plastic funnel wrapped gently over her crotch. She shivered; it was very cold.

"Go ahead and do your business; it'll drain into the bed pan for me to empty," she said reassuringly. Lilly didn't care. She had to relieve the pressure, and sighed deeply when she finally got release. The simple luxury of using a toilet, however unorthodox, was one she was loathe to part with.

She finished and the nurse gently tugged the plastic hose backward, setting it gently into a sterilization tray underneath the bed. The blue bed pan slid out from under Lilly's butt and the nurse carried it away for a brief moment, only to return with a new, clean pan to re-hook under the bed. She smiled once again at Lilly.

"Anything else for you, Miss Truscott?"

Her throat begged her not to say anything more, so she lifted her left arm and mimed drinking something. The nurse handed her a waterbottle after breaking the seal and Lilly drank deeply and gratefully from the source of life and nourishment.

"Ahhh...that's better," she croaked. The nurse beamed.

"Glad to see you're feeling better, Miss Truscott. You had us all quite worried for a while there."

Lilly liked the candor of her voice. It was so sweet, so caring, so easy to listen to. She blinked and looked back at the young woman standing before her in a light blue blouse and slacks.

"How long have I been out?"

"The accident happened on Sunday, if you can remember, and it is now Thursday."

Holy shit. Four days? "What time is it?"

"A little past noon." So, five days. Lilly gulped.

"What...what happened?"

"The official report was that the young man driving the red truck was high while operating the vehicle, and thus he did not see your car, even with the right-of-way. When he hit your vehicle, he merely assumed something was wrong with the tires. Your own vehicle flipped, spun, and then stopped against a traffic light. You broke...the large bone in your forearm, four ribs on your right side, and tore several muscles in your right thigh. You're actually very lucky to be alive, counting the severe concussion and amount of fluid in your brain. But you're here, and we're so glad that you pulled through. Tuesday was tough. You almost died four times. Your friend was so worried about you, she was speechless."

"My friend?"

"The young lady in the bed here," she said, gesturing at the curtain. Lilly managed to put two and two together.

"Miley, you mean?"

"Yes. Miss Stewart. She watched your vitals like a hawk and called us in every single time something went a little awry. Thank goodness for that, or else we would never have been able to keep you alive long enough to cope with the injuries. She's a hero to you, Miss Truscott. She's the one who single-handedly pulled your body from the vehicle and called for an officer. They said it was weird, though...She seemed a bit lax with her words."

"Lax? What do you mean, lax?"

"Well...she hasn't said much, I mean," the nurse said, wringing her hands. "There was a massive recorded trauma to the left side of her skull, and her left cheek had to be stitched closed, but otherwise she was unharmed. She went into shock after getting help and remained unconscious for at least twelve hours. She watched you for as long as she could these past few days. I guess the fatigue got to her. She's sleeping now."

"Um...c-can I see her?"

"Well...I'm not supposed to invade the privacy of others, but...since she's your friend and all, I don't see why not."

She gently pulled the thick blue curtain aside. Lilly swallowed, trying not to be sick. Miley had a large line of ugly black stitches holding her cheek, from the point where the top of her ear met her head, all the way down past her mouth to her chin. The whole side of her head, up under her hairline, was green and purple, a nasty poisonous-looking tinge of bruising and injury. She seemed peaceful in her sleep, however, and did not stir much at the sudden light draped on her face.

"We haven't really figured out how exactly everything happened yet."

"We had been having an argument after she picked me up in the rain from the park. She stopped at a light and started crying. She didn't realize it, but her foot had fallen from the brake. The car moved forward, and she freaked out and grabbed the brakes and the wheel. We sat in the intersection for about two seconds before that car hit us. I still remember the squealing and crunching of the cars smacking together, the pain of smashing my head against the window, the rolling, the bile, the blood, everything. I had to get Miley to wake up; she'd been knocked unconscious. Everything around me was slow-motion and dizzy, and I somehow managed to hit her with my left hand. She reacted and woke up, and I asked her for help before..."

The nurse nodded. "Before you slipped away. She hasn't said much about the crash, only that she needs to help you for some reason. She's not being very direct with us; we can't get much out of her. It's like she's refusing to speak or something."

"That's odd," Lilly mused.

"I thought so too, but I guess maybe she's just the quiet type."

"This girl is the leader of just about every organization on our campus and is a straight-A student. I highly doubt that she's anything but loud most every day. Something's wrong if she's not talking."

"Ehm, well, perhaps you two can talk about it, then? I'll leave you to it."

Lilly was confused. Leave them to it? What the hell was she talking about? Her gaze glanced at Miley, only to register the bright, vibrant green of her open eyes in her field of vision. She felt her eyes widen.

"Miley?"

The brunette smiled relaxedly and waved. Lilly waved back, unsure what to make of the situation.

"What...what happened?"

Miley shrugged. Lilly was puzzled.

"Miley, why aren't you saying anything?"

The brunette suddenly looked very sad and the green was replaced with gray. She reached for a small whiteboard lying on the table beside her, the blue marker drawn from its clip. The cap came off and Miley wrote on the board, slowly and carefully.

_I can't._

"What do you mean, you can't?" Lilly asked incredulously.

_I can't, Lilly._

"What...what..._what?_"

_The doctor thinks I have brain damage._

Lilly looked into Miley's sad eyes. She could see the brunette biting her lip. She wasn't hiding anything from Lilly. It wasn't some joke, some made-up way of trying to be like the blonde girl she had had such a bad relationship with. This was real. Miley could not speak.

"B-brain damage?"

Miley nodded. _They think that I may have broke something with my speech when I hit my head._

"But...how?"

_Impact trauma. I don't know how it works._

Lilly was silent, thinking hard. "Is it fixable?"

_The doctors don't think so. If it comes back, it will be a miracle. As is, I'm probably not going to be able to talk for the rest of my life._

The rest of her life. Lilly gulped. All because she'd been a bitch. All because Miley had happened to be there for her that day, all because she'd offered the girl a ride on an emotional roller-coaster. All because Lilly hadn't accepted the apology. Now Miley was literally speechless. Lilly felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's all my fault, Miley. All my fault. I should have forgiven you."

_No, Lilly, it's not your fault. It's mine. For all the things I did._

"But I should have known! I should have known that it was all stupid fun!"

_You couldn't have known my thoughts. How could you have known whether it was fun and games or not?_

"Stop trying to pin this on yourself!"

The brunette moved to write, but paused, blinking rapidly. She sighed and set the board and its instrument down on the table. Tracks ran down her face as tears started to fall, soaking into the comforter and sheets as she cried. She, too, was in a hospital gown, and she, too, was confined to the bed by machines. Hers were on the right side, closest to Lilly, and Lilly could see that she was healthy other than speechless and sobbing.

"Miley...let's not lay blame. It's not our faults that that guy hit us. It's not for us to take the blame for his actions. He's the guilty one, Miley. You and me...we're just victims of a crime."

The brunette nodded slowly into her hands, the tears still leaking between her fingers and down her arms. Lilly felt terrible. She had made Miley cry in a moment of weakness. Her heart sunk. She felt that she could no longer justifiably hate the girl who had caused her so much pain, not now that that same girl could no longer speak. She was just as mentally crippled as Lilly was, possibly more so, and the worst part was that it could have been prevented.

Lilly wished she wasn't quite so injured. She wanted to go sit beside Miley, comfort her, make her feel better. Instead, the thick, itchy gauze covered the painful incision on her right thigh while an incurable pain shot through her right side. She wished it was over and done with. She wished it never happened. No matter what was in her prayers, they were all consistent: that she and Miley were not in their present situation.

"Miley...I'm sorry. I...I wish I could go over there and comfort you right now. I wish this goddamned body of mine weren't so battered and bruised. I wish that everything was different and that we could honestly call ourselves friends. You've made more of an effort for me these past two weeks than everyone else I know ever has in their entire lives, including my parents, and I don't know how to thank you for just being there for me."

She wrenched the whiteboard back, scribbling madly.

_Don't deify me for my actions. I'm not a saint, Lilly. I wish I could be your friend too, but I'm not worth the words you speak. Please, don't ever feel sorry for me. I brought this all upon myself. I turned you into who you are, and I am the only one to be blamed for why. I had every option to fix it, and I failed to take it. I failed myself, my family, my friends, and most of all, I failed you._

Lilly was gripped with immense emotional instability. "M-Miley...come here..." she begged gently. The brunette laid the board down and rolled slowly off the edge of the bed, keeping her head as steady as possible. She hobbled over to Lilly's side as the blonde scooted to her right, creating room on the bed. The covers drew back and she beckoned Miley to lay down. She slowly, hesitantly, and with great care and caution, slipped herself into the bed, Lilly's left arm wrapping over her shoulders to prevent the IV and heart monitors from becoming smashed or damaged. Miley laid her right arm gently on her stomach, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Lilly played with the girl's hair with her left hand, trying to find some way to calm the girl. Nobody deserved the fate she'd been so unkindly handed. Nobody deserved to lose their voice, and yet Miley had given it up just to give Lilly a ride in the rain. It choked the blonde, a painful knot rising in her throat. She should never have been at the park that Sunday. Everything would have been alright if she wouldn't have been there.

"Miley...how much can you say?"

She felt the brunette's right arm slide under the covers and gently touch her left thigh, sending chills through her body. It was a strange feeling, even more so when she began to realize that Miley was writing letters on her skin.

_I can say the basics,_ she wrote slowly. _It's like the part of my brain that turns thinking into talking is broken. I can write perfectly, but I just can't say anything. It's not there. I lost it somewhere when I hit my head._

"But...it could come back, right?"

_It's not very likely. I don't even know if I'll be able to form coherent thoughts ten years from now. It affected my brain's ability at speech to a degree that the doctors believe is irreparable. Anything that I glean back from here on is immense progress. I doubt I'll ever talk again._

"Do you want to speak again?"

_I would love to, Lilly, but there's no way it'll happen._

They both sighed. Lilly was thinking heavily, her head spinning at the implications of everything. A sudden lightbulb went off in her head, and she blinked.

"Miley...I have an idea."

_What?_

"Well...I'm defective in my brain, right? And you're defective too, right? So...what if we put our heads together and fix this?"

_What do you mean?_

"How about...we try and work together? Like, you can help teach me stuff that I don't understand, and I could help you practice speaking. How does that sound?"

Miley hesitated. _I don't know, Lilly. I don't think I'll be able to speak ever again._

"Say my name."

It was a demand, not a request. Lilly had to test Miley's confidence in herself. She had to see what was possible and what could eventually be learned or taught. It would be like kindergarten all over again for them both.

_I can't, Lilly._

"Try. For me. You want to fix things with me, right? Here's your start."

The brunette was definitely caught between a rock and a hard place. She tried to form the word, saw it in her head, heard herself saying it, but was unable to produce the sound with her throat. Everything seemed to be still-born.

_I can't. I can't even feel my tongue or my throat._

"Do it with me, then. Make an L with your tongue," she said, looking at Miley's face. She touched the tip of her tongue to the bottoms of her top two front teeth. Miley opened her mouth and duplicated the action.

"Now just exhale and make a noise. 'lll', she demonstrated. Miley's throat constricted visibly and she attempted to produce the sound, but to no avail; all that came out was silence. Lilly could see her friend struggling.

"Feel my throat when I make the noise." Miley laid her left hand gently on Lilly's throat, feeling the humming, vibrating noise as she repeated the 'lll' from before. Miley once again lifted the tip of her tongue to the bottoms of her top two front teeth, closed her eyes, and concentrated on nothing but making the noise. All she ended up doing was exhaling, but there was definitely a tiny squeak in her efforts.

"That's great, Miley!" Lilly said cheerfully. The brunette blushed.

"Now make a small 'I' sound. 'ih', she said, the back of her tongue rising to change the flow of air out of her mouth. Miley duplicated the tongue maneuver, then once again exhaled around it. There was no real sound, just a rush of air, but the rush of air sounded just the way it should have.

"Now another 'lll' thingy!"

Again, the flow of air, and again, the sound came. Another squeak accompanied the flow of air.

"And now for an 'eee' noise. Keep your teeth bared and just push it all out, Miley."

She tried. And tried. And finally managed to make the noise.

"Now put it all together," Lilly said excitedly. Miley swallowed.

"L...L...Li-i-illlllyy," she whispered slowly. Her cheeks turned extremely red as Lilly gasped.

"Oh my God...you're talking!"

_No I'm not. I'm not even saying anything._

"You just said my name right there, Miley! If you can do that simple thing, I can teach you how to talk again!"

_Lilly, I didn't say anything._

"Say my name, Miley. Do exactly what you just did."

She struggled for a moment, aligning the noises in her mind. "Llli-illllllyy," she repeated breathily. It wasn't legitimate speech, but it was better than nothing. Lilly began cheering.

"Miley can talk! You can talk! You said my name!"

_All I'm doing is blowing air through my mouth_ she tried. Lilly shook her head.

"It doesn't matter how you do it, Miley. You're talking. You can do it. I know you can. You just proved it. If you help me become smarter, I'll help you talk," she said again. Miley retreated into herself for a while to think. After a long while, during which time Lilly stroked the long, dark curls, she nodded at Lilly.

_Alright. You can try. I promise, I'll help you get better in school._

The sheer amount of joy that Lilly felt in that moment made her heart want to burst. She was so happy that she would be getting and giving help, both of the same person. She was even more thrilled that it was Miley, though she had no idea why; Miley had only ever been cruel to her. Well, then again, that was in her childhood, not her life as an adolescent. Miley had actually been nice to her the whole time they'd spent together during high-school. Lilly began to wonder if she was right in wanting to give Miley another chance. It certainly seemed like the right thing to do. Miley had only dealt with Lilly's outbursts and anger with a wink and a smile like a calm, content friend, and Lilly felt that she had to try and make it up to the girl beside her. It was amazing that the girl had been willing to deal with her and her excuses and reasons and denials. Why, Lilly would never know. She didn't care to know. All she knew was that she was going to try and make things better between them, for better or worse.

Miley gently slid from the bed and moved back to her own, much to Lilly's dismay. _I'm going to get some rest_ the whiteboard read. Lilly nodded.

"Sleep well, Miley."

The brunette nodded. Lilly laid down in her own bed, scooting over atop the mixed warmness of both her body and Miley's, absorbing the heat from the covers and mattress. It was such a comforting feeling, knowing that she finally had someone who was willing to help her and pay some kind of attention to her. She liked that feeling of safety and security. She knew then that she was right in trusting Miley. She knew that she needed to give the girl a second chance, and she definitely felt that she was ready to give their friendship another chance. They at least needed a second chance after all the years of growing and separation. It was time. Fate was telling them so. Lilly smiled to herself as she fell asleep, finally feeling comforted after so many years of neglect.

Little did she know that Miley had fallen asleep to much the same feelings, just five feet to her left.

* * *

**_I may be writing this story in third-person-limited with omniscient viewpoints from Lilly's mind (notice there aren't many thoughts on her part, more like musings that I'm writing), but I can't help throwing in the occasional shift-of-perspective, especially one so warm and fuzzy like the ending there. It made me melt inside, and I'm frozen like an ice-cream in a nitrogen tank. Thanks to all you guys, and remember: the buttons below make me smile. I love all you guys, and I'll see you when I get home. ~Kyttin_**


	7. Road to Recovery

**_A/N: I had promised to post this when I got home. That was about two hours ago. Here I am, finally putting this thing up. I didn't hold on to this chapter to be mean; I held on to it so that I could at least get some feedback on the other chapter before submitting a new one. I won't fault you for only reviewing one of the two chapters, but if you want to review both of them individually, I won't stop you. The more mail I get, the more motivated I am. XD_**

**_Morbid Crow: Eh, well, Lilly might not always be there for her. Unfortunately, things happen. Bad things. And they happen to the best people around us. JKS! I'm totally not going to kill Lilly. Miley needs her. The question is, does Lilly need Miley? o.O_**

**_SuperGravyMan: I needed to do some damage control. Too much gone wrong and not enough gone right can really destroy a person, fictional or otherwise. Good thing they aren't traumatized, right? As for rock bottom...read this chapter and see if it doesn't get any worse. The next one will also be a bit of a twister; I've already kinda planned out how it'll go, although I'm not sure how to lead into it. As for almost dying...it could be a lot worse. Read my other Hannah Montana fanfic if you want worse. Not knowing what happens next is kinda my specialty. I've learned over the years just how to mess with people and their minds. It's really quite funny. But you're right: that's why people read. As for these pre-emptive responses, I'm glad you enjoy them. I'd be a pretty crappy author if I didn't take the time to address those who are so interested in my works, right? And besides, everyone deserves that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you're acknowledged, and since I get it every time I get a review, I think I can give it out to those who put forth the effort to talk to me and give me feedback, right? Not that the watchers and favers don't put forth the effort, but I even take the time to write out all their names, so that should at least count for something. A little kindness goes a long way._**

**_Now that I've rambled, I've got an announcement regarding The Angel Of Death: To those reading the story, I will ask you here and now what I should include in Chapter 8. I know exactly what will happen in Chapters 9 and 10, minus some added details that may come into play in Chapter 8, but the only thing I need is stuff to fill the chapter with. I really hate the idea of needing to write a filler chapter, but there's really no choice on my part. I can't say what I want to until Chapter 9 since I'd be skipping a day and every day in a rescue heist counts. Sorry if you were expecting something today or tomorrow; I only managed to write a quarter of what I need to in order to finish the chapter. I will not make the sequel's chapters anywhere near as long as the chapters in The Angel Of Death currently are; 10,000 words is too much to construct and invent. I'm not saying that to be lazy, I'm saying it because it's true. 10,000 words is the equivalent of two days in our lives as humans. Don't believe me? Try it. XD_**

**_And now, I present to you, without further ado...Chapter 7 of Never Give In._**

* * *

Chapter 7: Road To Recovery

"Alright, Miss Truscott. You're clear to go. Just be sure to monitor those injuries, and make sure you let us know if anything new or uncomfortable comes up."

The young nurse had wheeled the blonde out front in a wheelchair, Miley hot on their heels. The nurse disengaged herself from the chair and turned to Miley.

"Will you be well enough to drive?"

Miley nodded confidently, much to Lilly's pleasure. The nurse left them and returned inside the hospital; Miley set her whiteboard down on Lilly's lap and began pushing the chair out to the parking lot. Lilly realized then what the nurse had implied.

"Miley...your car was totaled. How are we going to get home?"

She said nothing, just tapped the board. Lilly picked it up and read the blue message.

_I texted my dad to come and pick us up. He should be waiting in the parking garage somewhere._

Another moment later and they were in the parking garage, where Miley steered the chair over to a car that looked like it had seen better days. It was clean and presentable, even had a fresh coat of wax on its silver paint, but it was a car that was at least ten years old, by Lilly's figuring. Not that there was anything wrong with an older car, Lilly reasoned, but she had expected Miley to be driving something a bit, well, newer.

Standing at the rear of the car was a nice-looking gentleman, clean-shaven other than for the sandy-blonde mustache and goatee adorning his face. His blue eyes were alert and filled with joy at the sight of his daughter coming toward him, even with her marred face. Lilly felt a little heart-broken inside. _That_ was the way parents should look at children, not with scorn and hatred the way her parents always seemed to look at her.

"Miley," the man called gently as she walked up. His shaggy, dark-blonde hair hung around his face, cut at his chin-level, looking very clean and very fresh. He smelled nice too, with some delicious after-shave scent wafting toward the girls as they closed in slowly. His strong, tanned hands, the red-and-white checkered shirt he wore, the blue jeans with the hints of holes on the knees, the clean black shoes. He looked like a cowboy in the city, but without all the leather and the oversized hat. Lilly marveled at the man and his slight accent. So _this _was Miley's father. Wait, she was related to _him?_ Some cowpoke? From who knew where?

"Miley...my Miley girl," he whispered, drawing her into a tight, relieved hug. Lilly felt a pang of jealousy and regret, both that her parents were not so affectionate, and that Miley couldn't return the condolences.

"I'm so glad to see you, Miley," he whispered. She sniffed into his shoulder as he squeezed her tightly in his arms. It was such a tough moment for Lilly to try and ignore.

"S-so...what happened?" he asked tentatively, stepping back a bit. Miley shook her head. Lilly blinked.

"M-Miley?"

"She can't talk."

He looked over Miley's shoulder and gazed at Lilly worriedly. "W-what?"

"Her head. It hit the window during the accident. She went unconscious. The impact left her without the ability to speak, like it was erased or destroyed or something."

The man took a shaky breath. "Is...is it permanent?"

"We aren't sure. I've offered to help her re-learn how to speak if she helps me with my grades."

The man blinked. "You must be Lilly," he surmised quietly.

"Yes, I am. You must be Miley's daddy."

"Proud father of what you see before you," he said quietly, tears in his eyes. "She's told me a lot about you. She tells me you're smart, too, and determined."

"Well...she's tutoring me...I'm actually not all that smart."

"Is that how all this happened?"

"No. It was raining. She was trying to do the right thing and offered me a ride to get me out of the rain. We...got into an argument," she said stiffly, not wanting to relive the horror, the highway hell that had taken Miley's voice.

"Why don't we get you into the car? I'm sure that wheelchair isn't very comfortable."

"Oh, I don't want to be any trouble."

"Nonsense. We'll take you to our house. If anything Miley's said is true, your house is the last place you want to be right now."

Lilly felt a stab of pain in her chest. What had Miley told him?

She didn't have a moment to think, for the man opened the car door and scooped her body gently from the chair, setting her inside the car on the seat. She sat still while he buckled her in, taking care not to bump or rub any of her injuries.

"There you go. Now I'll just move the wheelchair into the back of the car and we'll get you out of this morbid place."

"Mr. Stewart, you don't-"

"Please, call me Robbie. And yes, I do, Lilly. Miley told me in her message that she wanted you to come home with us."

Lilly swallowed and nodded, and Robbie shut the door gently beside her, folding the chair with one hand and stowing it with the other. Miley slid in next to Lilly and gave her a small, half-smile of reassurance. It failed to achieve anything. Lilly felt worse, if possible. Miley seemed to understand, though, and lifted the board off the blonde's lap, erasing her prior message and replacing it with another.

_You don't have to talk if you don't want to._

Lilly nodded and hung her head. She didn't want to say anything to anyone, not even Miley, and yet she wanted to tell Miley everything that had ever happened to her, good or bad. She hated how she could always be so confused about what she wanted. It sucked. Miley seemed to understand and laid a reassuring hand on her left leg. Lilly was instantly comforted by the touch.

"Thanks, Miley," she whispered. The brunette smiled, something that warmed Lilly's heart. She never knew the simple act of smiling could be so powerful. The mood was soon broken, however, as the car started and backed slowly out of its spot. Lilly instantly felt claustrophobic. The last time she'd been in a car, she'd been in a crash, and Miley couldn't speak because of it. She gulped. Hopefully the man named Robbie would be able to get them home safely.

She needn't have worried, for although the car ride was uncomfortably quiet, it was calm and peaceful for the five minutes that it lasted. The vehicle pulled into the driveway of a small house in the middle of a neighborhood Lilly had never been to before. She gazed around in wonder and fear, for though she'd never been into the neighborhood itself, she'd been told stories. Miley Stewart didn't live in paradise, no, quite the opposite.

Miley Stewart's house was situated right in the middle of a slum, in the ghetto, where there were two rival gangs with a thirst for blood and a willingness to kill those who stood in the way. The Viets didn't like the Beans, and the Beans didn't like the Viets, and Miley was somehow smack-dab in the middle of their feuding territory. Lilly immediately felt better about where she lived and felt that she now _needed_ to help Miley learn to speak again. It was imperative that the girl could vocalize, since as she was, she could not call for help if she needed it. Just that thought alone scared the living daylights out of Lilly, and she felt her heart begin to race.

Robbie lifted her gently out of the car and set her into the wheelchair, though the blonde did not grow any less tense about their location. She didn't even relax until they were inside the small, slightly dilapidated house, and even then it was only a mild sense of security; the door could easily be knocked over, the windows broken, everything could easily be destroyed or taken advantage of. Robbie didn't look like he had the sheer amount of muscle or testosterone in his body to fend off burglars or panderers. She swallowed dryly.

"Miley, why don't you show Lilly your room?"

The brunette nodded and wheeled Lilly down the hall. Her room was the last one on the right. It was a small room, one that Lilly was surprised to see didn't have much of anything in it. There was only a small bed against the wall, a dresser, and a writing desk. No computer. No television. The closet door was slightly ajar and Lilly could only see a handful of t-shirts inside. She blinked, wondering if it were a sick dream. Miley Stewart, living on the poverty line? How was it possible, with all that she did at school?

_This is it _she wrote. _My room._

Her eyes were misty gray and looked distant. Lilly couldn't even see the old Miley inside them. They had hardened and closed. Lilly blinked. This wasn't like Miley.

Then she realized why the change had occurred: Miley felt inferior to her.

"M-Miley...are you alright?"

The brunette sighed and perched gently on the side of the bed, writing on the whiteboard.

_No...I'm not. You're the first person in three years to see my house. _

"Three years? How long have you lived here?"

_All my life. I hate it here, to be honest._

"Why?"

_Gunshots every other night. Screaming, stabbings, rape, everything. It all happens here, in this neighborhood. Everyone I've ever tried to befriend around here has had something happen to them. It's why I drive a car to school every day, because even though I can walk the five minutes to the entrance, if I were to pass in front of the wrong house, I'd be done for._

"M-Miley...you shouldn't have to live like this."

_Dad can't afford anything else. We're just barely keeping the power on in here. There is no air conditioning, no heating, no nothing. We don't even have television. Just newspapers. We do tons of reading in our spare time._

"Is that why you're so busy at school? To...to stay away?"

She sighed meekly and nodded. _Dad knows that I don't want to be here. He knows that it sucks here. He's trying so hard, and I love him for it, but we both try our hardest to stay out of this neighborhood at all costs. There's just...nothing good here for us. We're always afraid of someone coming in and stealing stuff from us, or...taking me instead._

"Miley...why don't you come stay with me tonight? You'll be safe."

_I don't know if my dad will let me...He'd do anything for me, but I don't even know that he'll be able to cover the hospital bill, let alone repay you for your hospitality._

"Miley, stop right there. My parents will pay the bill. They don't really even give a shit about me anyways, so for you to stay the night will be no big deal. You should come with me. Come back with me. After we tell your dad what happened and explain our plan, you should come over and stay the night."

_Will your parents really be alright with that?_

"They don't give a fuck what I do. It'll just be another excuse for them to yell at me over something. Just another day with them. Honestly, your situation is worse, if I may be permitted to say so in all honesty."

Miley nodded. _I know. It's bad here. I just...I wish there was something I could do._

"Well, let's go tell that nice man in the kitchen what's going on, and then we'll head over to my place. I...It'll be safer there."

Lilly had stopped herself from saying what she really wanted to. Her mouth had almost betrayed her brain, her emotions. _I want to protect you. _She couldn't say that to Miley. How would the brunette react? Hell, what the fuck was she thinking? She shouldn't even _like _this girl for all she did, and now she was practically fighting to drag her over for the night? What the hell was she thinking?

_You want to be her friend._

It all seemed so trivial now that Lilly looked back. Sure, everyone thought she was fucking retarded, and they all treated her like shit, and they were always slamming her or cursing her out or blaming her for their problems, but it all seemed so trivial when she realized in that instant that it was _only what they thought_, not what was actually true. So what if they all thought she was stupid? So what if they all called her names or blamed her for their problems? Was that _her _fault that they all had opinions? Opinions are like assholes, and everyone's got one to spread shit with. She could finally feel the beginning vestiges of self-confidence prod at her mind. It was a pleasant feeling, warm and fuzzy and full of goodness. Lilly definitely liked it.

"Miley, let's go tell him. He deserves to know."

She nodded and gently pushed Lilly's chair back into the kitchen area. The man was sitting at the table, leaning back against the backrest of his chair, a newspaper held before his face. He heard the sound of Miley's footsteps on the tile floor and set the thin sheets of paper down.

"What's up, girls?"

"You deserve to know what happened to your daughter, Mr. S."

"I told you, call me Robbie. What's all this talk about what happened to Miley?"

"The accident, sir. You should know what happened. You should know why your daughter can't speak."

"Can't speak?" he repeated blankly.

"Haven't you wondered why she hasn't said a word to anyone?"

"Well, I thought it was a little strange, but I thought she was traumatized or something."

"While that is also true, that's not why. She sustained a major head injury that robbed her the ability to speak."

"She...what?"

"She struck the side of her head against a hard surface and damaged her brain."

The man blinked in disbelief, but looked visibly shaken from the news. "H-how did it happen?"

"The short version, or the full truth?"

Miley gently squeezed Lilly's left shoulder, a nonverbal warning, but Lilly did not heed it. There was no sense in hiding that which she could easily speak about.

"What's the difference?"

"It all comes down to how personal you want to get."

Again, Miley squeezed her shoulder, a silent plea not to migrate into unsafe territory. Lilly linked her hand with Miley's and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Well...what did happen to you, anyways?"

Lilly drew in a deep breath, gazing evenly at the ceiling to gather her thoughts. "I don't exactly know the story from her end, but...she picked me up at the skate park in the rain. We drove down the rode and talked. The subject of the conversation was...emotional, to say the least. At any rate, it got to us both, but Miley started crying when we stopped at a red light. The conversation continued anyways, and her foot slipped off the brake. We rolled out into the middle of the intersection, where she realized we were moving and stopped the car. About two seconds later, a red pickup truck struck the side of her car. We rolled under his truck, then spun wildly around until we smacked into a traffic pole on the corner. She struck her head against the window and fell unconscious somewhere in the scuffle, hence the stitches and the bruising under her hairline. I personally smacked my head against the roof, the window, and got my arm and leg crushed when the truck hit us. When the car finally stopped moving, I had to get Miley to wake up. I knew I was immobile. I reached my left hand out and hit her with it, which woke her up. I blacked out then. From what I understand, she dragged me from the vehicle and called the police for help, though she didn't say a word. She couldn't. The impact to the left side of her head broke the connection between her brain and her mouth, or so the doctors say. I personally think it's all just stupid."

She could feel her insides boil at hearing herself use the word. Robbie raised an eyebrow, his eyes wide, mouth hanging slightly open.

"What...what do you mean, stupid?"

"I think the doctors have their heads where the sun doesn't reach. I managed to get her to say my name."

"You did?"

"Go on, Miley. Say my name."

The blonde looked up into Miley's eyes, which were gray with a clouded mix of emotion. Her cheeks were red and her pupils were slightly dilated. Lilly guessed immediately that she was embarrassed.

"It's okay, Miley. You can do it."

Lilly would never know how powerful those simple sentiments were to the brunette. She sucked in air and focused her mind, letting her eyes close tightly as she formed the sounds in her head.

"Llliiill-llllyy..." she breathed. It sounded as though she was dying and was incredibly breathy, but there was no mistaking that she could talk. Even if her larynx refused to respond, she could still feed air through her mouth to form speech. Lilly beamed.

"That was great, Miley!"

She looked back at Robbie only to see tears in his eyes. Lilly was stunned.

"Are you alright, Robbie?"

"My baby girl...after all this, she's still giving her everything in all that she does. I'm so proud of you, Miley girl."

The brunette strode to her father and dragged him to his feet in embrace, crying quietly into his shoulder out of pride and joy. Lilly wished her own parents were so affectionate with her. Even if she didn't want the care and consideration after so many years of not having it, she knew she would still at least appreciate the gesture were they to make it. She began twiddling her thumbs together, focusing on spinning them round and round to take her mind off the painful exchange of family ties taking place before her. She could not help but feel sad and jealous, even if they didn't live such a luxurious life as she had imagined. Luxury didn't matter. Family mattered. Lilly knew that, began to believe in that fact in just that short moment that father embraced daughter with no hostility or anger, only love and relief and joy.

Miley stepped from his grasp, gently drying her eyes on the sleeve of her white-and-pink jacket. Her father did likewise with the checkered sleeves of his shirt.

"S-so...what's the plan, girls?"

"Um, well, I invited Miley to stay the night at my house. I know that it's a Monday night, but I figure that since we can't really go to school yet, what with fresh injuries and all, we might, y'know, spend some girl time together to talk and be cozy. I...I don't know about Miley, but I can't go to school until next week. Doctor's orders."

Robbie's eyes flicked to his daughter, and he paused for a minute, his eyes tracing over something. Lilly looked up and saw the whiteboard in her hands, new words written on it. She squinted.

_My orders were the same as Lilly's: stay home until next Monday to rest and recooperate._

"Alright, girls. If the doctor said you should stay home until next Monday, I'd be happy to let Miley go over there. Just don't do any rough-housing, alright?"

"You're sure that it's okay? I mean, she just got released and she's still injured."

"Lilly, we'll have a whole week to talk about what happened. I can see that you two have some things you need to clear up, possibly things you were talking about when the accident occurred, and I don't mind letting my daughter spend time with her friend."

Her friend? Miley had told the man that they were friends? So Lilly wasn't the only one wishing it were true, then. But could they ever make it work as friends?

"Well, if you're sure, Robbie...I don't want to take her from you if you want to spend time with her."

"It's no trouble at all, Lilly. I can see how happy you make her, even if it's only little glimpses and flashes."

How happy she made Miley? Woah, what the hell was he _talking _about? Was there something that they weren't telling her?

"So, we should probably get you into the car and strapped down for the ride. Then you can tell me where I'm taking you."

Miley opened the door and wheeled Lilly outside, Robbie on her heels. "Miley, why don't you go get comfortable? I'll get Lilly to the car."

Miley was visibly puzzled, but said nothing. She walked slowly toward the car, a bit dejected if Lilly was reading right. She looked up at the man behind her chair.

"Hey, Lilly," he said gently, quietly. "Thank you so much for being there for my little girl. Ever since her brother...left...she hasn't really had anyone she's been close to. Seeing the way she stood so close to you today, never left your side, pushed you so carefully and all...I think she's found someone she can lay trust and companionship in. You're a great girl, Lilly, and I appreciate you being there for Miley. I can't thank you enough."

"Really, Robbie, it's nothing," she said, flustered. He shook his head.

"She hasn't looked so happy in years. I'm so glad you got her to smile again, Lilly. You're amazing, just for that, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

Lilly wondered for a moment if he knew that people called her retarded. She gulped and nodded, feeling loved and protected. The man gripped the handles on the wheelchair and pushed it toward the car, the occupant of the chair feeling very bright, very happy, and very proud, both of herself and of Miley. She knew then and there that no matter what, she would put every effort into getting Miley to speak again. It was a promise that she made, both to Miley and to herself, and it was one that she would do anything to keep.

* * *

**_So, did anyone ever bother to ask why Miley has only ever said Lilly's name thusfar? How about that guarded speech that Robbie gave? Anything seem a little odd to you guys? Ahaha, I'm not gonna spoil anything. If you see anything, please let me know. If not, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The button with the speech bubble is my bestest best friend, and I look forward to everything you guys say. I love all you guys. ~Kyttin_**


	8. Revelation

**_A/N: I figure that getting seven new reviews on these past two chapters deserves another chapter after a day's grace. I'm glad to see that I'm able to stick with this story._**

**_SuperGravyMan: I'm a bit regretful myself for having put Miley in the hood, but it fit the story so well that there was really no option left. Trust me, it will all play out. I've even got another twist or two up my sleeve, something that nobody would have ever expected. It will totally redefine this story, I assure you. Best part about it, it came to me as I was writing Chapter 7 because of some of the things I happened to be writing. Let's just say, it's far from over. Muahahaha!_**

**_Morbid Crow: She knew it all along, actually. Perhaps Miley's just helping her see the light...? Or maybe this chapter will change perspective a bit. XD_**

**_Havok452: You like it, I see..._**

**_desertstormx: (from Chapter 6) I'm not sure what to make of the surprise, but I know that it certainly...complicated the story in my eyes a bit more. I had to make it uber-complicated in the beginning, and now I've got nothing left to do but to continue adding layers and making the story that much more...interesting, per se. As for becoming more...the very last line of this chapter should put up a red flag. Just let me know what you think, but don't go reading the ending first to spoil it._**

**_desertstormx: Robbie Ray had to be kind. There haven't really been any nice adults in this story thusfar and I needed at least one in there to help balance out the positive energy and negative energy. I'm totally not done with him either. He'll come up repeatedly throughout the story if I can work him into it. The Stewarts being poor is just another piece of the pie that you have to have in order to understand the remainder of the story. Things get more interesting next chapter, Chapter 9, I assure you. As for The Angel Of Death, since I've been to D.C., I should be able to do that with no problems. _**

**_BigB23Marie-re: Like I told SGM and desertstormx, I had to add that layer into the story. Things just get so much more complex when you realize what's really going on later on in the story. I'll come outright and say it when it comes time, but you won't know anything until it gets to that point. Sorta like the way the game F.E.A.R. goes: you don't understand anything until you finish the game. As for the second-guessing, perhaps this chapter will be more clear._**

**_MayRey: I try to update as often as possible for the sake of my readers and my creative stream; if I can provide a good story for you guys, you provide me with motivation to keep writing. As for working things out and friendship, they've at least acknowledged the fact. But after this chapter, will things still be the same between them? Let me know what you think. XD_**

**_Thanks to KLSmith and Daarilexi for the +watches! It means a lot to me, you guys._**

**_Enough of me, though. More for you. Here's Chapter 8 without further ado! (that kinda rhymed...)_**

* * *

Chapter 8: Revelation

The beat-up car pulled into the pristine driveway of Lilly's house, shuddering to a halt as Robbie killed the motor. He looked over his shoulder, smiling warmly at the girls in the back seat. Miley's hand rested comfortingly on Lilly's leg, her gaze trained on her father. Lilly was busy trying to ignore the pangs of pain that were raping her thigh.

"You gonna be alright there, Lilly?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice. She closed her eyes and nodded, shuddering as another wave washed over her.

"I'll be fine. I just...need another pill, that's all. Miley's got them."

Robbie nodded. "You need help out?"

"A little. But I don't want to make you struggle."

"No hassle at all, Lilly. I'm glad to help. Miley, set up the chair, will ya, bud?"

She nodded and slipped out the left side of the car, leaving Lilly's leg cold where her hand had been. She waited a moment while they set the chair up, then braced herself as Robbie opened the door and scooped her up into his arms. Ripples of irritation rocked her thigh and her arm as she became momentarily airborne, but they subsided to a dull ache when her backside met the chair a short minute later. She sighed in relief; she was never one for heights, and especially not one to rely to heavily on others. It would be a very difficult span of time for her to work through during her recuperation after the injury, she knew, but she had no choice. She would need help from those around her. She only hoped her parents would be willing to give her such help; she hadn't said a single word to them about the incident and was hoping that they wouldn't ask about her condition. Futile to hope for, but if they didn't ask, she wouldn't tell.

"Alright, well, I'll leave you to it. I'm not really one to talk to parents about their children, so it's all you from here, Lilly. Take care of my Miley girl for me."

"I'll try my hardest, Robbie," she replied sincerely. She had every intention of carrying out the request he charged her with.

"Right. See you tomorrow, Miley."

She nodded and waved, a small smile on her face. She looked both tense and relaxed at the same moment, like she never wanted to leave the moment she was in and dreaded what could follow. If Lilly was reading her right, her own feelings matched Miley's. She never wanted to leave the peace that had descended as they watched Robbie pull away from the driveway, the car sputtering and protesting every movement, his hand held forlornly in a gentle wave of departure. The girls waved back simultaneously, watching until he disappeared from sight out of the neighborhood. Lilly sighed and looked up at Miley's face as the gentle, midday sunlight caressed her face.

"Are you ready for this, Miley?"

The brunette's jaw tightened and she nodded slowly, reaching down to take the handles in her grasp. She spun the chair and pushed it toward the door. It opened readily at Lilly's touch, and swung open easily and quietly, just the way it always had. She gritted her teeth, waiting for the reactions that her parents would surely have.

"Who's there?" the voice of her brother called worriedly from the living room.

"It's me, Maxie," she replied gently. He huffed.

"Scared the crap out of me. Thought someone was breaking in. Dumb sister."

"Nobody would ever break in here in the middle of the day, Max," she reprimanded. As far as Lilly could guess, he had returned to his videogame, judging by the button clicks she heard from the entrance hall. She sighed, hearing Miley shut the door behind them. The brunette gave her left shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and Lilly smiled in response. It felt good to know that someone cared.

"Max, who's at the door?" the voice of her mother asked as it augmented its way down the hall.

"Just Lilly. She made me think it was a burglar."

"Lilly? She's been gone all week. What's she doing back here, asking for her stuff?"

The long blonde hair of her mother whipped around the corner as the woman came into the entryway and caught sight of her daughter. She froze, her body still halfway between the two adjoining hallways. The woman looked them up and down twice before speaking.

"The hell happened to you?"

Lilly blinked. "Sure. Now you care."

"Well, honestly, Lillian, I thought you had left this house and gone somewhere else. So excuse the hell out of me for my surprise."

"Then excuse it right back out of me for becoming a sudden unwanted imposition on your life. I realize that I might have been a mistake, that you and dad were just fooling around after too many beers, _mother_, but I do still live here and I do still have an obligation to be here."

"Don't talk to me in that tone of voice, Lillian."

"Then pay more attention to your daughter's well-being, _mother_," she spat. Her mother's eyes flared angrily.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but no daughter of mine will talk to me in that manner."

"You get what you ask for. Punishment should fit the crime, right?"

The look her mother gave her caused Miley to quiver, her hands shaking the chair just enough for Lilly to feel but not enough for Heather to notice.

"Don't. You. _Ever._ Speak. To. Me. Like. That. Again."

"Then. Speak. Like. A. Real. Person. Not. A. Robot."

Lilly knew she was pressing her mother's patience and her own sheer dumb luck, but she couldn't help it. Her mother hadn't even noticed that she'd been in the hospital, hadn't even called to ask what the hell was going on, and now was angry at her presence. It was just too large of an opportunity for Lilly to skip over; she just _had _to rub her mother's smug nose in the fact that she could care less about her daughter and that she was a horrible mother because of it.

"Young lady. To your room. Now."

"Great. Now I'm going to be in my bedroom, broken, with my friend to keep my company." She stressed the word 'friend' just the slightest bit, causing Heather to look up at the brunette girl.

"Isn't this the tutor that you dislike?" she asked pointedly.

"Well, she used to be, but I guess you failed to pay attention to anything I've done over the past two weeks. She's no longer an irksome tutor, _mother_, she's my friend. Or maybe I should help you understand what that is, since you don't seem to have any. Care for a little dictionary time, _mother_?"

The woman was nothing short of furious. She looked like she was having a stroke by the way the veins pulsed in her temple. Lilly felt smug satisfaction rise in her chest, but she refused to let it overwhelm her. Now was not the time to feel victory. Now was the time to explain what happened, while her mother was at her most vulnerable, even if she was angry beyond anything she'd ever been before.

"Do you _really_ want to know what happened to your failed mistake of a daughter, _mother_? Do you really want to know how that red truck plowed into Miley's small blue four-door car, just because she was trying to give me a ride in the rain? Do you want to know what it felt like to have your body crushed everywhere at once as you were pinned between the vehicle and the traffic pole outside? Yeah, that's what happened. That's why I'm broken. Physically, of course. I'm still awake and alive, mother. I'm still here. Sucks for you, doesn't it? You'd be happier if I'd just died. Life would be so much easier. No medical bill to forfeit, no extra food or money for movies, no need to wonder what time I'd come home at night, no nothing. Just you, dad, and your precious baby boy. You could spend all day cooing and praising him. I'd be rotting in a box, six feet under. Oh yeah, very becoming for your retarded, almost-sixteen-year-old daughter. That's just the way I imagined my future. I'd love nothing but to be dead right now, mother. At least I wouldn't have to deal with parents who don't give a damn."

"I gave you everything, Lillian!" she shrieked, finally losing her cool.

"You gave me shit. You and dad both called me stupid, called me retarded. Well, here's a newsflash for you, _mother_. You can take that opinion of yours and shove it right back up your ass where it came from because I don't particularly give a fuck what you have to say about me. Call me whatever the hell you like, but remember that I don't fucking care. I don't care what you have to say or what you want to do, just the same as what you dealt out to me. What's good for me must be good for you, right?"

"I gave you my heart and soul, Lillian. I tried to slave away and fix what was broken, but you fought me. You refused to even try and be smart."

"You have given me nothing but my breathing body. Everything that I hold dear, everything that I can truly call mine, material or otherwise, it's not what you gave me. It's what I had to attain. Like some sort of sick fuck contest. You claim you always wanted the best for me. If you did, truly, then you wouldn't have called me stupid. You wouldn't have given up. You would have looked past the end of your selfish, turned-up nose and seen that I was at least putting forth an effort. I'm a teenager. You can't expect my best. But at least I was trying. I was at least working to put aside the name-calling and the pain that came with it. But you didn't see. You didn't care. You still don't. You're trying to kid us both into thinking that you believe in me, that I'm the one in the wrong. Guess what? Joke's on you."

Miley gently squeezed Lilly's shoulder, a gentle warning. Lilly was crossing several lines and breaking many rules into millions of infinitesimal pieces. She had gone beyond anything she had ever said, ever done ever before in her life. And it felt so good for her to be able to do so. Her mother was literally speechless, more silent even than Miley.

"You want to know why I brought Miley here today, mother? I didn't bring her to see this. I didn't bring her for you to praise, for you to say that she's better than me. We both know that we get enough of that at school, which we can't return to until next Monday, by the way. No, I brought her here because she saved your daughter's life, and because it cost her the ability to speak. So now, we're going to follow your demand for me to go to my room. No, I didn't forget that. We're going to go in there and mind our own business while I try and teach her the art of speaking once more, and she's probably going to try and teach me more math since I'm still a little bit clueless at it."

"My daughter. So stupid she needs her own tutor."

Lilly was now on the edge of the breaking point. Her mother was making one last desperate attempt to drag her daughter down with her in a ball of flames, and Lilly had to muster up every last vestige of resistance that she held in her body to fight the beckon for her to join her mother in a cat's game of staring down the opponent.

"Call me what you will, mother. I stand by what I've said. Your opinion means nothing to me anymore."

Lilly reached up and gave Miley's hand a squeeze, letting her know that they needed to be going. And they did just that, Miley pushing the blonde in her chair, Lilly smiling cheerfully at her mother's seething face. It was such a great feeling for Lilly to know that she had pissed her mother off and that the woman could do nothing about it.

"Hey, Miley? Can you help me to the toilet?"

The brunette immediately steered her wheelchair into the bathroom and lined it up beside the toilet area. Thankfully there was enough room between the throne and the tub to maneuver the chair within, so that Lilly sat directly to the side of the toilet. She gazed at the seat of it longingly, wanting once again to release the uncomfortable build-up of pressure on her bladder. Miley gazed at the toilet, then at her legs, then back at the toilet, clearly puzzled. Lilly was also contemplating the situation.

"If you can get my butt partly onto the seat, I'll be situated, at least. You'll have to help with the clothing part of it," Lilly mumbled sheepishly, her cheeks twinging pink at the thought of peeing with Miley in the room, "but I can move myself around on the seat, at least."

Miley nodded, her own cheeks a bit pink. She held up the whiteboard, words written upon its glossy surface.

_Do we take care of the clothes now, or when you're on the toilet?_

"Well...let's do it once I'm partly situated. That way I can just move a bit and do the deed."

It seemed a bit awkward for them to be talking about how to best situate Lilly to do the seemingly-simple task of using the restroom, something they'd previously taken for granted as something they could do whenever they pleased so long as a clean toilet were nearby. It was quickly becoming evident that they clearly could not live without the luxury of a throne to perch upon.

"Right. Um...how strong are you?"

Miley shrugged. _I could probably lift you_ she wrote.

"You think so? Alright, scoop one arm behind my knees and the other behind my back. Just...move me and set me down gently."

Miley looped her left arm carefully behind Lilly's knees, making sure to keep her flesh away from Lilly's injury. Her right arm looped carefully behind Lilly's back, and Lilly wrapped her left arm tightly around the back of Miley's neck, clinging to her for dear life. If Miley dropped her, she'd be back in the hospital for sure. That was the last thing she needed at that point in time.

Fortunately, Miley was a bit stronger than she looked, and with not so much as a grunt from her throat, she managed to maneuver Lilly right to where she needed to be before gently setting her down to perch on the toilet seat. Long, delicate fingers gently set about the task of sliding Lilly's jeans down, something that irked her somewhat as the denim angrily scrabbed across the bandages on her thigh. She and Miley both hissed through their teeth at the sight; blood had blossomed like a garden of flowers along the entire length and width of the bandaging gauze that ran from the top of Lilly's right knee all the way up to her hip joint. She had been instructed by the doctor not to move the leg from its sitting or laying position while healing, as it could re-tear the tentatively-stitched muscle tissue that had been only partially reattached to her bone in the right place. The idea was that the rest of the muscle tissue would gradually grow back if given enough time without movement or strain. Sitting and laying down made no use of the damaged tissues.

Lilly sat on the toilet seat, garbed in her shirt and panties, her pants around her ankles. She looked up at Miley, noting that they were both a bit embarrassed by the given circumstances; the pink splashes of color on their cheeks were proof enough of that.

"Um...why don't we just leave the pants off from here out? I have blankets and towels I can use as skirts," Lilly suggested tentatively. Miley nodded and tugged the jeans gently from the blonde's ankles, laying the garment upon the counter beside the sink. She then looked at Lilly with a guarded expression on her face. Once again, Miley was able to hide her emotions from the girl before her, though Lilly had noticed that it seemed to get harder and harder with each passing day. She blinked at Miley's blank face, her gaze concentrated only on Lilly's eyes.

"Well, are you gonna help me with the rest, or do I have to wet myself?"

Lilly rather suddenly noted the urgent pressure within her. It was beginning to get uncomfortable. Thankfully, Miley stepped forward once again, and with a tiny bit of Lilly's help, the panties slid free. Lilly saw that Miley could not help a darting glance at her groin, and she herself had to look down to see what Miley did. Nothing was clearly visible, save the small amount of dark-blonde fuzz that had started to regrow in the past week she had been incapable of showering. She shuddered.

"We need to get cleaned up, too," she mentioned quietly as she leaned forward a tad. Miley nodded and stepped gently out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her so Lilly could do her business in peace.

The sigh that elicited from the blonde's lips was one of pure joy. Sweet freedom never felt so good, even with a body that was broken and battered. She felt immensely better and let out a gentle breath of air when she finished. It felt so good to pee. That much she knew for a fact. It wasn't exactly comforting to do so, but it at least felt good. She loved that feeling of release, like all her pressures and troubles and worries were going down the drain right with her release.

After two failures at wiping herself dry, she finally managed to accomplish her task and sighed peacefully.

"Miley, I'm done."

Lilly had already begun tugging her panties back up toward their normal resting place when Miley cautiously opened the door. Lilly didn't know what to think. It was a bit strange for her to be so cautious around Lilly, sure, but they were under strange circumstances. She felt something else about Miley's presence that she couldn't quite place. As if...something wasn't quite right. Like there was something she was supposed to know, but didn't. The feeling was unnerving to say the least.

Miley gently pulled Lilly's panties up around her hips and then lifted Lilly's body to the chair, setting her down gently to flush the toilet. Lilly smiled up at Miley's unreadable expression, which instantly broke her apart; Miley smiled back, looking both pleased and relaxed. It was a comforting look, one that Lilly hoped to see more of. She couldn't quite place why, but she knew that seeing Miley with such a pleasant look on her face was the equivalent to comfort food for her body.

The thought of food caused her stomach to churn. Miley heard it; there was no way to guard a growl that loud and profuse. She seemed to giggle at Lilly's stomach, but no sound came out. It was humorous to Lilly, sure, but she was also deeply saddened. She had never heard Miley laugh before. She hoped she would one day.

"Right...I'm hungry. I don't care what my mom said. We need food."

Miley visibly stiffened at the mention of Lilly's mother, but rolled the wheelchair out of its cul-de-sac and back into the hall. The chair and its mover made their way into the kitchen, where Heather Truscott was busily making dinner. She let her eyes flick over her daughter and friend as they entered, but to Lilly it seemed that she was openly ignoring their existence. Whatever. They didn't need her help to get food.

The wheelchair went straight to the refrigerator. It opened and shut within the space of about three seconds time. Then the freezer opened. Lilly's eyebrows lifted.

"Let's do some of these," she suggested. Miley shrugged and grabbed the box. There were supposed to be thirty slices of mini-pizzas within the box's cardboard exterior, or so the box claimed, and they were all made of real cheese, tomatoes, and pepperoni. Lilly only knew that simple fact because she had bothered to read an identical box one day while she sat eating through ten of the slices. She could devour food, that much was certain. The only thing she didn't know what how much Miley would eat.

Still, she grabbed a plate, and without hesitation dumped about half of the box's contents onto it, using only one hand. Nothing could ever get in the way of her and her food. She saw to that. The microwave opened, and Lilly slid the plate inside, shutting the door and setting the time for four minutes. The box then ended up back in the freezer and Miley steered Lilly over to the table, where the brunette sat delicately in a chair, taking great care and caution not to drag it or move it across the floor to make any kind of disturbing noise. Lilly was unfazed. She thought Miley looked uncomfortable, but who could blame her? Her host had a very angry mother who happened to be in the same room as them, a room that may have been about the entire size of her house.

Lilly mentally slapped herself. Money didn't matter. Miley mattered. Robbie mattered. School mattered. Money was so materialistic, so false, so unworthy of such praise and power that it held considering all the strife and struggle it caused. If all the world was broke, where had the money gone? On top of that, who was to call Miley's existence poor or rich? Who was to say that Lilly lived more luxuriously? Sure, she had more stuff and lived in what society deemed was a nicer house, but to Lilly, just Miley and her dad alone in that small, run-down house in the middle of the ghetto was the nicest thing she'd ever seen, were it not for the location. She loved how small and simple it was, how homey and tight and relatively peaceful it was. She liked that feeling of closeness, of solitude and gentle companionship that Miley and her father had in their house, alone together. It was sort of a relaxing feeling. Lilly had a feeling that she'd want to live there if Miley didn't happen to live in the middle of the territorial feud between the Mexicans and the Vietnamese. She could tell Miley hated it there, for all it was worth. She could see that Robbie was trying his very hardest to make ends meet. It broke Lilly's heart to imagine that there were times when Miley most likely had to go without food so that her father could keep the electricity on in the house. She hated how the crushing grip of the dollar had brought such a nice, caring man to his knees. He hadn't even really pressured them for answers. He seemed so affectionate with his daughter, something Lilly wished she had with her own parents. He didn't deserve to have to struggle so hard, to fall short constantly, to be labeled as poverty, as white trash, just because he couldn't compete with the government's harsh, stupid demands. Lilly hated that. It wasn't even her place to be able to say so, yet she hated it.

The microwave dinged and Miley stood up, gently retrieving the plate from its perch on the glass turntable within the machine. She set the plate down in Lilly's lap and wheeled them both back down the hall, this time into Lilly's room, shutting the door behind them. She sighed and leaned against the door (she had left Lilly facing her), closing her eyes. Slowly, she sank to the floor, the pizzas on Lilly's lap forgotten for the moment.

"Miley, what's wrong?"

She grabbed at the whiteboard and began writing as though greatly fatigued. _Your mom. I think she hates me._

"She can't. She doesn't have the right."

_It's her house. She can do as she pleases and I'm powerless to her will._

"You could stand up to her like I just did."

_She's not my mom. It's not my place. I just don't want her mad at me._

"She's going to be mad at you no matter what. You're my friend, and if she's mad at me, she automatically assumes that my friends are the cause of her anger. If I didn't hang out with them, I wouldn't be like this."

_Still. I don't like it when people are mad at me. I like it less when they're disappointed in me. _

"Is that why you're trying so hard for me?"

Miley chewed her lip. _Partly. _

"Well, if that's only part of the reason, what's the other part?"

She watched Miley hesitate. _I don't know that I can readily explain. It's not something I myself know for certain._

"Well, shoot, you're never going to figure it out unless you talk about it with someone, right?"

_That's true...but I don't know that you're the person to talk to._

Lilly cocked an eyebrow. Miley looked worried.

_I didn't mean it like that, Lilly! Honest! It's just something...I don't know much about._

"And you don't think I can help you?"

_Well...it's not something you'd know much about either._

"Try me. I'm not as stupid and naïve as everyone thinks. I just wish people would get that."

Lilly was only a bit wounded and taken aback at Miley's secrecy, but she didn't want to show it. Now wasn't the time for her emotions to play into her friend's troubles.

_Can you keep a big secret? A huge secret?_

"How huge are we talking?" Lilly asked, brows furrowed.

_I've never told anyone else about this secret, ever. It's...it's huge, Lilly. It's a major part of me._

"I'm listening."

_No, that's not it. You can't just listen. You have to promise me that whatever I say to you stays here, between us. It can't go any farther than here._

"Miley, you don't have to worry about me spilling the beans. Oliver's had me cover him millions of times before."

_It's not a cover-up that I need. It's reassurance._

"For?"

_Myself. Who I am, what I am. I just need someone I can trust, someone who can just listen without judgment._

"I can't promise the no judgment part, Miley. I'm highly judgmental when I choose to be."

_Lilly, please. I need to get this off my chest. I just need to know I can trust you._

"You can trust me, Miley."

_With my life?_

Lilly was starting to get a bit freaked out at the seriousness Miley was implying. "Jesus, Miley, did you kill someone?"

_No, but that's how serious it is._

"Holy crap. Miley, no matter what it is, I'd never sell you out or go against you. You know that, don't you?"

_I have to be sure, Lilly. Promise me that this stays between us._

"I...but..."

_Promise?_

"...I promise, Miley, that whatever is said here will stay here."

The brunette sighed in what seemed to be a mix of relief and trepidation. _I've never told anyone about this...it's not something I can openly say to anyone, but we've been through a lot together and I think I can trust you to see a different side of me._

"Miley, it's alright. If you can't tell me, you don't have to."

_I have to tell you. Lilly...I'm a lesbian._

_

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**_I said in the summary, did I not? Anyways, read and review. It makes my day that much better when you do. :)_**


	9. Unforeseen Circumstances

**_A/N: It seems like my teachers decided to rather suddenly stack shit-tons of homework on me. Ah well. I got this done. I don't think I'll make it past Chapter 10 for this story if I don't hurry up and write Chapter 8 for The Angel Of Death. I refuse to let myself venture past that point; ten chapters to one is a very steep ratio. It'll be my marker point. :)_**

**_desertstormx: I'm glad you liked the ending. It kinda tripped me out, but I guess you could totally see it coming if you paid attention. Yes, Lilly is very emotional. She tends to be driven by her feelings rather than her thoughts in this story, as far as I know. As for Heather and Kenneth...I'm nowhere near done with them. I don't know quite yet what I'm going to do with them, but life for them will definitely get interesting in the next ten chapters or so._**

**_SGM: Well, that means you paid attention! Good for you! Hopefully this chapter starts on the interesting note you'd hoped it would. I had to kinda throw in another personal touch; they're supposed to be somewhat human, so food had to come into play. Beware: do not read on empty stomach. Following that, Miley was definitely uncomfortable during the whole chapter, yes, but when would have been a better time to say what she wanted to? Had it been a comfy, cozy homecoming, which was utterly impossible given that Lilly's mom tends to overreact and under-appreciate, Miley would have had no particular obligation to say anything, right? Twisty turny stories are my favorites to read, so hopefully you're enjoying my writing of one. I'm not done with the twists yet; as with Heather and Kenneth, I'm nowhere near done with them. There's one, possibly two huge twists left that will send your mind spinning, and I've got several other smaller ones to further define the story. Hopefully the twist midway through this chapter isn't too mind-boggling. I assure you; it has a purpose. Unfortunately, though, you weren't the first to review the previous chapter, and I try and post responses in the order of reviews. The nickname is more for me being lazy than anything else, but if you don't have a problem with it, I'll keep using it. :)_**

**_spiritedghost: (regarding Chapter 4) Excellent analysis of the ending. I'm glad you picked up on it. I realize this is twisted, but I've no intention of seeking help. My philosophy has always been that everyone is insane, but that some can hide it better than others. My insanity is most noticeable through my writing. Returning to your review, Lilly had to make Miley aware of her wrong-doings so that Miley would wish to become a better person. I'm glad to see you enjoyed the chapter._**

**_Liley-Twilight-Lover: I kinda made it obvious, huh? Guess I need to tone down my level of intensity a bit; it could have been a total surprise as far as placement goes, but then it might have felt a bit weird to hear it stated out of nowhere. _**

**_BigB23Marie-re: Glad to see my sense of sardonic, sarcastic humor worked for you. :)_**

**_..Hale.: She can't talk, so I had to find some way for her to communicate. The whiteboard offered ease and convenience; it's small, lightweight, easily erasable, and can be written on or drawn on however one wishes. Lilly has definitely changed since the beginning of the story; I don't know what everyone believes, but I know that I've kinda been neglect to write her individual thoughts, more like her whims and whiffs. It's a third-person-limited story, so I guess that means that I can fully analyze and detail her character without saying too much about anyone else. That's for the reader to figure out. As for Robbie...This chapter says that yes, he does. He has to. There's a reason. ;)_**

**_Morbid Crow: Ah, good! I like your positive attitude and positive belief in Lilly as a person. Good! GOOD! That will definitely be your best friend in reading the rest of this story. One of my major twists will definitely change your perspective of Lilly, and one will change Lilly's perspective of herself. Oh yeah, it's about to get really bumpy and complicated. Just wait until the Monday they go back to school. :D_**

**_Truscott: Well, here's more for you!_**

**_Thanks to spiritedghost and april-rayan for the +watches, and thanks to ..Hale., Morbid Crow, and AMN213 for the +favs. I can't tell you enough how warm and fuzzy I feel inside to know that my slowly-unraveling story is keeping you interested and leaving you wanting more. It means I'm doing my job as an author right._**

**_And now without further ado, Chapter 9 of Never Give In._**

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Chapter 9: Unforeseen Circumstances

It was without a doubt the very last thing Lilly would ever have expected Miley to communicate to her, spoken or written or otherwise. Miley Stewart, the perfect angel, was a _lesbian? _It flew in the face of everything Lilly held true and pure in her mind. It flew in the face of everything remotely related to Miley. It wasn't possible.

"Miley...are you serious?"

Lilly had to ask. Even though she was seeing the severity of the truth in Miley's own eyes, the same eyes that she now gazed into in disbelief, she was having a great deal of trouble coming to terms with the fact that Miley was gay. It was such an abstract concept to her that it almost didn't register.

"What...um...when did you...realize, I guess?"

Miley turned the board around, gaze lingering on Lilly. She looked very tense, as though she was unsure of what to make of Lilly's reaction. She seemed waiting for some indication of what Lilly thought. But Lilly couldn't think. She was astounded that she hadn't figured it out before.

_Well...I kinda knew when I was about ten that something was...different...but it didn't have to do with my sexuality at first. I just didn't like boys the way most other girls did. It only got more pronounced as I got older until I finally decided I was gay._

"But...you've never had a girlfriend before?"

_No._

The response was quick and simple. Lilly was puzzled, to say the least.

"Wait. How can you be a lesbian if you've never been with a girl?"

_Simple: ever since I was ten, I've hated boys._

"But that doesn't mean you're gay. You might be...what's the thing where you don't go for either?"

_Asexual. And no, I'm not thinking I could be gay. I AM gay. I've looked at other girls in a sexual way, and I've always wondered what it must be like to be with one. My mind is a sucker for fantasies, and every now and again, I get carried away._

Her cheeks turned the barest of pink, but Lilly ignored it. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the concept of having a lesbian friend.

"Wha, um...What caused you to hate boys?"

Miley suddenly went from mildly embarrassed to extremely uncomfortable. Her eyes widened a bit, her pupils dilated, and she slid down the door to the carpet below, curled into a fetal ball while her hand idly wrote on the board. Her writing had now taken on the appearance of not wanting to exist; it was so tiny and horribly convoluted that Lilly could only barely make out the scrawl from where she sat four feet away.

_When I was ten years old...a boy broke into the house with his friends. They shattered the window, barricaded the door, and used me for their sick pleasure._

"Used you...like...you were _raped?_"

_And that was only the first time. I hated it. I fought, kicking and screaming. My dad wasn't home that night. He had gone to some community event. It was well past midnight; business was all he could do to keep the house over our heads. The boys took full advantage of it that night, and I wasn't released for two long hours of torture. They used every hole they could find, stuffed whatever they wanted wherever they wanted, did whatever they could to me because I was too powerless to fight them off. I played hookey from school all that week. Daddy didn't know. He thought I was sick. In a way I guess I was._

"You said...only the first time?"

_The second time happened in eighth grade. Similar situation, different boys. That time...I got pregnant from it. Daddy found out and blew his top. He knows everything now._

"What...what happened to the baby?"

She was tense and stared at the wall for a long time, her hand not even lifting the marker to the board. Finally, she twitched her muscles enough to write out a barely intelligible scribble, smudged by her hand and fingers as she dragged over the board.

_I aborted the child because I couldn't deal with the pressures of being pregnant so young. I didn't want a rape baby._

Lilly was torn. She didn't know what to do. Miley didn't move a single muscle other than her hands to work with the board.

_I killed an innocent child, Lilly. A child. MY child. One that I could have loved and raised to be better than his father, whomever it was. I don't even know who he was to this day. I hate it. I hate all of it. That child should have lived. I never should have killed it, no matter how much my daddy supported any decision I have made._

"Miley...stop for a moment. It was a rape baby, right?"

Her head only just barely nodded. Lilly knew she was treading on very thin ice that was cracking and breaking beneath her feet.

"Miley, do you like the feeling of being raped?"

She dropped the whiteboard and marker in reply, her face stony and white. Her eyes widened further. Lilly couldn't begin to imagine the horror that Miley was reliving.

"Miley...you didn't kill your child. You killed a demon."

The size of her eyes decreased only a fraction of a hair's width. Lilly noticed it nonetheless and shifted gently in the chair, her butt muscles sore from sitting for so long in the same position.

"Think about it. That child, no matter what you tried to do, would have grown up to be just like his father, his dirtbag of a dad. You wouldn't want your child to grow up and become a rapist, would you?"

She shook her head, eyes still staring straight ahead. She seemed to be lost on a run down nightmare avenue.

"Miley, I know that you probably hate yourself for the abortion and all, but you saved yourself a whole ton of pain by letting it go. Nobody should have to care for a child they didn't want, especially one that is a result of rape. You're one of the strongest people I know, physically, spiritually, emotionally, but even you should know that simple fact by now. You should know that nobody should ever have to deal with such a traumatizing event every day by seeing the face of their child that came about because of it. Miley, I know that you think it was wrong, but to me...it was the greatest decision you ever could have made for yourself. I...I can't explain why, but I'm proud of you, and I'm proud to call you my friend."

Miley sat, stock-still, for several long moments, her pupils expanding and contracting at regular intervals, like a sort of patterned thinking she was digging through. She finally blinked and looked at Lilly, gently reclaiming the board and marker in her hands. Shakily, she began writing once again.

_You don't even mind that I killed a child, or that I'm a lesbian?_

Lilly couldn't help but smile as a tear of relief and compassion slid from her eye and down her cheek. "Miley, I'm not that shallow. I just explained that you killed a demon, not a child. You stopped that boy's son from becoming a horrid, wretched man. You've saved society one or two headaches, and one act of that magnitude of bravery and sacrifice is worthy of high honors. As for being a lesbian, is there any reason why it should bother me?"

_Well...you're usually a fairly straight-shooter, and I guess I'm not what you'd call normal because I've chosen a different path to follow in regard to my orientation..._

"Miley, please. I'm not quite so materialistic. You and I aren't friends because of our sexual orientation or what we wear or who we appear to be to the public eye. We're friends because we want to be, because we enjoy each other's company and time we spend together. Nothing as innocent and individual as whether or not you're straight or gay should play into the equation, just our mutual respect and trust in one another, right?"

She sighed. _I can't help it. You're only the second person I've ever told, the first being my daddy. I told him the day that I got the abortion that I hated boys and that I would never date one, ever. __They're too violent and brutal. They're...pigs, kinda. Except my daddy. He's the only boy I can trust without question._

"It's actually a very powerful thing to be able to trust in a boy, especially one who's mature and sophisticated like your dad. He's a great guy and only wants the best for you. He'd never let you down."

_He tries so hard, all for me...he didn't even seem mad when I told him that the car was totaled. He was just glad I was alive. I don't get him._

"You're thinking materialism again. Miley, it's not what you have or how popular you are that makes you a good person or a bad person. It's what you do with who you are. Your dad could be spending his money on hookers or alcohol, but he's trying his very hardest to make sure you're alive and well cared for. He's amazing just from what I've seen. He doesn't even know me and he offered to help me."

_He knows you because I've told him about you._

"Doesn't matter. It's not on a personal level. He only knows my name, not who the real me is. I don't even know that you do, to be honest. Oliver's close, but he's not close enough. Nobody's ever close enough. They all still think I'm retarded."

_You're anything but retarded, Lilly. _There was a steely glint of determination and push in Miley's eyes. She looked like she'd murder anyone that tried to say that Lilly was anything but intelligent. It was both admirable and frightening to Lilly. She didn't want Miley to be so concerned about her. Miley had her own life to deal with.

"I believe that, now more than ever...just the final exams helped me cope with that. Standing up to my mom today, and actually making sense, was the greatest thing I've felt in a long time. I'm more confident now, Miley. Everything I do has gotten easier. Granted, I'm kinda stuck in a wheelchair for most of it, but regardless, I feel like a brighter, happier person. Two weeks ago, I was slashing my wrists and drinking alcohol from the bottle. Today, I'm smiling and laughing. I'm awake, Miley, like I've been in a long slumber. I'm awake, and I'm alive. It's all thanks to you. You gave me the small bit of confidence I needed to see myself for what I really am, for who I really am, and for what I can aspire to be. It's such a wonderful feeling, and I owe it all to you."

Miley blushed furiously, fiddling with the hem of her jacket. _Lilly, really, it's nothing...You did most of it on your own._

"You showed me the door and gave me the key. I never would have made it that far."

_I still don't understand how._

"Well, can you explain to me why I needed to know you're a lesbian?"

_Not really..._

"It's sorta like that. I can't explain it. All I really know is that it's because of you, and that I owe you for it."

_If anything, I owe you. Teaching someone math is easy. It's just numbers and formulas. Teaching someone how to talk is an artform. You can't expect my speech to be perfect and solid like you can with math. Nothing will ever be the same as it was for me. I don't even remember what I used to sound like._

"There's really no way of describing the way a person speaks, other than to imitate it. I can't imitate your speech, Miley. It's unique and fluid and graceful, three things that I haven't managed to be, ever. We can do this, Miley. Just have faith. You owe me nothing. I owe you the ability to speak. It's my fault you were even caught in the accident in the first place."

_I thought we agreed that nobody would take blame?_

"It's my fault. End of discussion."

They sat in silence. Finally, Miley broke it by turning her board around to face Lilly once more.

_You don't mind that I'm lesbian?_

It was a simple question. One that Lilly hadn't really thought about. It didn't really matter to her what Miley happened to be, so long as she was the best at it and had fun doing it, just the way she did with sports or classes or anything else she chose to involve herself with. She decided then and there, with a firm shake of her head, that she didn't care what Miley's preference was, so long as they were friends and could deal with it together.

"Miley, I don't care what kind of sexuality you are. You can be into that beastiality stuff for all I care. We're friends now, right? Friend's don't judge friends. It's not my place to judge. I'm not bothered by it at all. Though I suppose I'll be tempted to ask things about what it feels like and such."

Miley shrugged, scribbling madly. _I'm not worried about that. I can answer questions all day. I just don't want you being weirded out by the fact that I'm into girls. _

"It doesn't bother me in the slightest," Lilly replied truthfully. Miley relaxed into a crumpled heap of relieved limbs and happy smiles. Lilly laughed lightly at the brunette's numb facial expression; she looked as though she were hopped up on morphine.

"Alright, Miley. Toughen up just for a minute and help me get into the bed so that I don't have to sit here in my panties anymore. I'm freezing and my ass hurts from sitting too long."

Miley stood and sighed peacefully, lifting Lilly's body the same way she had before. Lilly's mind was still wrestling with the notion of her friend being gay, but it was a pleasant fight because it made Lilly question what she really knew about Miley. Did she really know the girl who was helping her across the room to her bed, or did she only know what the girl had let her on to know?

"Miley...is there anything else I should know?" Lilly asked curiously. The brunette lowered Lilly onto the bed, looked her in the eyes carefully, and shook her head, never breaking the gaze. Lilly suddenly felt very odd under such close scrutiny by the girl before her. It was almost as though she wished to be worthy of Miley's gaze. Was that even something possible to wish for? Or was Lilly that fucked up from the pain and the meds?

Speak of the devil.

She suddenly felt the aching in her thigh and the stabbing in her arm and screwed up her face, squeezing her eyes shut to ward off the pain. When her eyes reopened, she discovered Miley had not moved, but had a concerned look on her face.

"Where are my pills?"

Miley slid the bottle from inside her jacket. She rattled it in her hand, tossing the bottle back and forth between her fingers. Lilly nearly moaned at the heavenly sound of the pills rattling against the plastic container.

"Miley, hand me two of them."

The brunette looked at Lilly, then at the side of the bottle. She held up the instructions.

TAKE ONE PILL EVERY FOUR HOURS, NO SOONER.

Lilly glanced at the clock. She'd had a pill before she'd gotten in the wheelchair. That was at about ten in the morning. It was only about one o'clock in the afternoon. Lilly groaned, flopping back into her pillows.

"I have to wait another hour for this pain to go away? What the hell kind of torture is this?"

She slapped her hand across her eyes, willing the light to go away and the pain to subside. It was a losing battle of will and grit, and finally Lilly cracked. She needed to get warm before she turned into an icicle, and struggled futilely with the comforter before giving up. She shivered.

Suddenly, the large comfy blanket was yanked out from beneath her backside and legs. In the next instant, it was dropped comfortably over the very same legs and torso that had been laying on it. She lifted her hand and opened her eyes to see Miley smiling at her, all her teeth showing in a glad, proud grin. Lilly sighed and chuckled weakly.

"Thanks, Miley. What would I do without you?"

The brunette shrugged. Lilly laughed. Obviously, neither of them could answer that. They hoped they would never have to. The mood died as each went back to their musings. Lilly never knew what Miley was thinking or would do next. The girl was definitely a mystery. One that Lilly hoped to solve.

Wait, what the hell was she thinking? Solve a mystery? Miley wasn't a mystery. She was one girl living through hardship and unfair circumstances. That didn't make her a mystery. And yet, Lilly felt as though she barely knew the girl she called her friend. What she had just learned was more than she'd ever thought she'd know about Miley. She'd only hoped that they could be friends, even if they weren't particularly close; hanging with the guys didn't really give her an opportunity to make very many friends of her gender. Then, all-of-a-sudden, Miley, the demon from her past, comes back with a new face and a fresh attitude, asking for forgiveness and friendship? Why? What would have compelled Miley to do so? What had changed, other than age? Was there something else Lilly didn't know that had brought Miley to her? Was it chance? Was it fate? Or was it all just some kind of nightmare she couldn't wake up from?

Whatever the case was, Lilly could feel Miley's curious gaze upon her face and she departed her train of thought as it pulled into the station for a break. A curious idea popped into her head, one that she never would have suspected herself able of conceiving.

"Miley...why don't you come get some rest?"

Just then, Lilly's stomach growled. The mood was killed as they both giggled. "Scratch that. Let's eat that pizza first."

Miley retrieved the plate from the desk and set it gently on Lilly's lap, who eagerly stuffed two slices into her mouth. Miley lifted one and tentatively took a small bite off the tip, as if unsure of the treat. Lilly had stuffed a third into her mouth before realizing that Miley hadn't even bitten her first slice. She swallowed the delicious mass of food and looked at the brunette concernedly.

"Miley, are you alright?"

She nodded in response, tentatively nibbling at the pizza. Lilly sighed.

"Miley, it's delicious, not poison. Come on. Eat. I'm sure you're starving."

Lilly immediately wished she could retract the comment. It wasn't prudent of her to say such things to Miley, given her circumstances. However, thankfully, Miley didn't react to the coaxing other than to take a very large bite out of her slice. She chewed thoughtfully and swallowed, perking up.

"Good?"

The brunette nodded vigorously and stuffed the rest of the slice into her mouth. Lilly laughed.

"Keep eating, Miley. We need real food, not that crap they give us at the hospital."

Again, the brunette nodded, grabbing a second slice. Lilly dove into her fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and finally met the bottom of the paper plate after devouring more than half the pizzas. She leaned back and sighed, relaxing into the pillows, her hunger sated, her body feeling much better after gorging itself on the food. Miley gently lifted the paper plate from Lilly's lap and set it back on the desk. Lilly noted Miley's befuddled facial expression, one that seemed to ask, "now what?"

"Come lay down. You need sleep."

_You do too._

The response was very quick on Miley's part, but she could not suppress a yawn. Lilly laughed.

"Miley, relax. We both need sleep. I invited you over here with the intent of keeping you here all night. Besides, if you don't come curl up now, you won't get to see my most favorite thing ever."

_Which would be?_

"I can't tell you. You've gotta find out for yourself," Lilly said with a wink. Miley looked even more unsure than before.

"I promise it's nothing bad. You'll love it. Trust me. But you won't get to see it if you don't get some sleep first."

Miley tentatively slid her body under the covers, looking at Lilly with a terrified expression on her face. Lilly giggled.

"Miley, what are you so afraid of?"

The brunette pointed a finger at Lilly's nose. She laughed lightly.

"Why are you afraid of me?"

Miley pointed to herself, then made a heart with her hands, then dragged her hands through her hair. Lilly rolled her eyes.

"Why should it matter to me whether or not you're a lesbian? Do you not _want _me to be your friend because of it?"

Miley then clung to Lilly's good arm like a life-line, her eyes even more terrified than before. She bit her lip worriedly. Lilly smiled. The act was so innocent and pure.

"Well, then, what's got you bugged?"

Again, Miley pointed to Lilly. The blonde did not understand.

"I've got you bugged?"

Miley nodded. She looked very nervous, very worried. Lilly sighed.

"I don't see how."

Miley began writing on Lilly's leg once again. _I might begin to get weird around you._

"What do you mean?"

_I might start to like you if I'm not careful._

"Well, don't you want to like me? I mean, isn't that part of friendship?"

_No, I mean...I'd want you to be mine. Only mine._

"Only...yours? What the hell are you talking about?"

Then it hit her. Like a ton of bricks. Miley's eyes widened when she realized that Lilly understood.

"You mean...you'd be in love with me."

Miley nodded, looking ashamed and afraid. Lilly, on the other hand, wasn't as disgusted as she thought she'd be. Miley was a nice girl, one that she could easily get along with, one that she might be able to see herself holding hands with, kissing, touching, loving...wait, woah, was she getting aroused from the thoughts? Fuck. No, Lilly was straight. Right? As far as she knew, yes. But what if something had changed inside her? What if she was a lesbian? Was she lesbian? Not as far as she knew. But how would she know for sure? Hell, how would Miley even know for sure? Was it possible for her to be straight, but be in love with Miley? Was it possible to not be gay and have a girl lover? Or maybe she just wasn't interested in boys anymore, perhaps? Whatever it was that Lilly was feeling, she had no clue where it would lead. Seeing Miley looking so feeble and meek before her, so unsure of herself, in such stark contrast to the way she was expected to be at school, was utterly unnerving to Lilly. Miley should not be so changed, so distraught, so unlike herself. Then again, which was her true self? The one that clung desperately to her arm, looking so devastated and helpless, like a frightened kitten, or the girl who carried herself with pride, poise, and perfection in the school's hallways, hanging out with the popular crowd and the snooty girls of happy-peppy-land? How was Lilly to know?

She decided that she'd just have to find out, and with a small smile and a gentle touch of her nose to Miley's, she gradually let her body relax into the highly-anticipated grasp of the clutches of rejuvenating sleep.

* * *

**_Let me know what you think. Next chapter should be a bit of a sweet one, but don't get your hopes too high; Lilly told herself she's straight, right? So that means that Miley doesn't have a chance in hell, right? Tell me your thoughts. :)_**


	10. Trustcott

**_A/N: This chapter, I warn you, may seem a bit sudden in content. ALSO: I will not be updating this story UNTIL I can post The Angel Of Death Chapter 8, which could be anywhere from two days to two weeks from now. It depends on how much inspiration I have for them to explore D.C. (courtesy of desertstormx's recommendation). Not much foreword to say about this chapter, other than I love all the reviews I got for the previous one. :)_**

**_Ghost: I'm glad you're enjoying the ride. I'm not mad at all by your analysis of what I've written thusfar; it's actually helped me kinda construct the next couple of chapters. Lilly definitely has a lot more coming to her, you can be sure of that. There is a question asked twice in this chapter...just, well, keep it in mind for future reference. That's all I can really say about it. As for the M-rating, it's partly for language, but it's also because, well...I don't skip over sex scenes the way other authors do. I will indeed write one out, possibly two. There...might be one that's nothing short of uncomfortable for some readers...if you have faith in me, just know that I will post a warning at the head of the chapter (as well as in the chapter) to let everyone know when the mature content stuffs is coming up._**

**_RosieHale: Ahaha, you'll find out soon enough. And you're welcome. :)_**

**_xxDarkAngelBabyxx: I'm glad! :)_**

**_SGM: I have to keep Miley shrouded in mystery. That way you always wonder if she's truthful or innocent or honest in what she's saying. Keep in mind; the entire rape thing from the chapter before could have been made up. Just saying. ;)_**

**_desertstormx: From what I've seen thusfar, history repeats itself, and children do tend to walk similar lines to those of their parents due to their upbringing. I wonder if Lilly can break the mold, though...do you think she can? As for the child, I actually used Lilly to share my own personal belief, but that's just me. It fit her character as much as it fit my beliefs, so I utilized it to the fullest extent. Much of writing is based on experience, is it not?_**

**_Ian: It's because of her writing talent that she has such a structured mind. It's similar to the way my own mind works, although I still don't give myself as much credit as some think I should as far as writing skill and style goes. I realize that I labeled Lilly as stupid very early on, but the tide seems to be changing. And for the fascinating read, that's always good news in my book. :)_**

**_Morbid Crow: Oh, you think so? Hmmhmm...you'll just have to find out, now won't you? ;)_**

**_Also, thanks to InfusedSour and PinkCheesy for the +watches and to BillieTheKid6 for the +fav! I know I say it every single chapter, but it really means a lot to me when I get so much attention from you guys. It keeps me motivated._**

**_And now, onward to the tenth chapter in my slowly spinning story. Hopefully it's not spinning too terribly slowly, though..._**

* * *

Chapter 10: Trust-cott

The clock on the nightstand read thirty-seven minutes past midnight when Lilly woke up to gaze at its glaring red numbers. She blinked blearily as her body slowly came to and she realized that the numbers were not the only thing staring at her. Beside her, the brunette beauty whom she'd come to call a friend had her alert, curious stare focused on Lilly's face. Lilly wondered why, but thought at the same time that it was a tiny bit disturbing and a larger bit cute that Miley had such interest in her. She attempted to stretch, but only ended up rolling her shoulders and popping her left hip. She yawned quietly, trying not to breathe on Miley, and then smiled gently in the moonlight.

"Hey, Miley," she breathed, blinking slowly. "How did you sleep?"

The brunette shrugged and Lilly noted that the grip on her left arm tightened slightly. She suddenly became suspicious.

"Did you manage to get any sleep whatsoever?"

Miley bit her lip. It was all Lilly needed.

"What's wrong, Miley?"

Eyes darted surreptitiously toward the window. Lilly blinked, her mind running. "You had a nightmare?"

Miley shook her head no.

"Just bad memories?"

Shrug.

"Premonition?"

Miley nodded, still chewing her lip. Lilly lifted her left arm up, Miley's hands gripping it relatively tightly. The blonde blinked at the thin, lithe fingers on her forearm and positioned her arm so that the fingers were resting gently on the side of her face. She snuggled into them a bit, feeling the gentle scrubbing of smooth, perfect nails on her cheek. She loved the feeling.

"You're safe with me, Miley."

The brunette immediately relaxed; Lilly watched her melt into the bed like warm butter. Lilly was very conscious of the fact that Miley was finally relaxed, and by her side, no less. It seemed to Lilly that Miley was now heavily dependent upon her. It also seemed that Miley was falling for her. She didn't know what chilled her more, the thought of Miley falling for her, or the thought that she could fall for Miley. It was looking to be a scarily real possibility.

Did she want to? Really, that's all it came down to. But did she truly want to fall for Miley? Was it conceivable? Was it something she could uphold and was ready for? Could she deal with being gay, if only for Miley? She barely knew this girl. She didn't even know what had happened during the entire course of Miley's life. They weren't even legitimate best friends.

Lilly felt incredibly confused. She also felt that she was going insane. It seemed so wrong of her to have feelings for Miley, hence her apprehension, but yet, at the same time, she had no problem whatsoever with the idea. She could easily get into Miley. At least, that was what she believed.

But what if Miley hadn't grown out of her old ways? What if she was still the horrible, taunting individual that she had been so many years ago? Was it worth the risk to Lilly, should she decide to pursue her new friend? Could she really trust Miley?

The question terrified her. If she couldn't trust Miley, and they were together, everything they would have built, everything they would be sharing together, everything that they were and could be would come crashing down around them in a pile of broken promises and shattered hearts. Lilly shivered inwardly. She couldn't let Miley know her internal battle. She wouldn't understand the fight. She wouldn't understand Lilly's feelings.

Or would she?

Lilly felt her head begin to hurt. Too much thinking that soon after waking up was definitely not healthy for her, especially at twenty-to-one in the morning. Miley's eyes were closed peacefully, as though she had finally relaxed. Lilly sniffled.

"Miley, you up?"

The brunette opened her eyes a bit, her lips curling slowly into a pleased, relaxed smile. Lilly felt the happiness washing over her and couldn't help but return the gesture. She slowly sat up, cracking her neck loudly in the silence.

"Help me a bit, Miley. To my chair."

The brunette rolled out of bed and stood up straight, reaching to scoop Lilly up. Lilly waved her off and swung her legs over the edge, laying her left foot on the ground. She placed all her weight on it, her right leg a limp, dead weight connected to her hip, her arm crooked and pressed to her stomach. Miley's eyes found hers, the irises reflecting the silvery moonlight with fear and concern.

"Reach into the third drawer down on my bureau and grab me a pair of pants," Lilly whispered, sitting gently back on the bed, the springs beneath her groaning slightly. She didn't weigh all that much, but the bed was somewhat old; she'd had it for the past five years. She ran her hand along the seam of the bed sheet that spread over the mattress with a fondness that she'd not known herself capable of having toward anything. She could still remember the day her parents had brought it in, back when they were at least trying to make her life easier, make it better. Back when they believed that she wasn't stupid, just that she didn't think the same way others did. The memory stung. Lilly hadn't been stupid intentionally. If the goddamned doctor had done his job the right way, the nurses wouldn't have pulled out a blue baby girl to resuscitate. It stung that she had been a victim of a crime she had not committed.

Miley finally shut the drawer and looped a pair of cozy flannel pajama pants over Lilly's ankles, taking great care to slowly slide the garment up her bare legs and over the bandages, placing as little pressure as she could on the damaged leg. Lilly every now and again felt Miley's fingers push a bit on her scarred thigh, and the pain seared through her veins in anger, but she blinked it off into tears, for it was a good pain to her. She liked it because it at least meant that someone cared enough for her to want to make it better.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons she believed she could fall for Miley if she'd let herself. But could she trust Miley to safeguard her naked heart?

The waistband of the pants overlapped the waistband of her panties and Miley gently patted it to ensure that it would stay. She then looked up at Lilly's still-sitting form, asking her what to do next just with her eyes. Lilly stood again, putting pressure entirely on her left leg, letting the right side of her body hang like a wet noodle from a fork.

"Be my crutch," she pleaded. Miley nodded and wrapped her left arm around Lilly's waist while the blonde gently retracted her broken arm from its sling and draped it over the shoulder of her crutch. Miley looked sideways at Lilly, concern scarred on her face.

"We need to change the bandage on your head in the morning, Miley. It's soaked with blood."

Miley nodded and gestured to Lilly's thigh. The blonde shook her head.

"I can't change that one. I know it's bloody, but I have to leave it until Wednesday when I go back in for a second opinion. It's nasty-looking and bloodied up pretty bad, but I can't do anything about it until then."

Miley sighed. She then pointed at the wheelchair questioningly, toward which Lilly began hop-limping. She was grateful once she felt the leather seat of the chair beneath her butt once again to support her broken frame, but she was loathe to part from Miley's touch. It was steadily becoming harder and harder for her to fight her present frame of mind with the scars from her past. Her excuses seemed to lose their validity with each new spout of assistance the brunette offered her, whether asked or not.

"Alright. To the backyard!" she cried in a whisper. Miley dutifully pushed her out of her room, taking care to open the door slowly and quietly, and maneuvered the chair out into the backyard. They sat on the patio, the chilly air freezing them to their bones. Both of them shivered. Lilly wondered if a jacket should have been incorporated into her scheme. Then again, they were already outside. Too late to change their minds.

"Miley, look up. Straight up."

Thankfully, their was no patio cover over their heads, and when they both gazed upward into the sky, they saw a gorgeous cascading array of twinkling, glimmering, glistening stars. Lilly gazed upon the sky as though it were an old friend. She glanced at Miley, who seemed breathlessly taken by the simple beauty of the stars. It was bliss to Lilly's soul to know that Miley was enthralled by something Lilly had to share. Never had she ever before shown anyone what she saw when she looked to the heavens. Somehow, her house and the ones nearby were caught in a sort of eye of the storm, though there was no hurricane around them. No, this eye was one of a storm of smog and pollution. The tainted air seemed to swirl around the general vicinity of her house, never entering, leaving her with a clear, unobstructed view into the dark eternal night.

She again glanced at Miley standing behind her. The brunette was captivated. Utterly stunned. That much was easily visible. Lilly felt a sort of happiness swell within her. Miley was totally absorbed in something that she had to offer. It was a great feeling to have. Lilly took the time to gaze at Miley's figure rather than the sky.

Chocolate curls hung loosely around the pale, smooth, iconic-like perfection of her face, framing it just perfectly as they dropped to her chest level, the strands splaying outward in front of and behind her shoulders, so perfect it was as though it was drawn, signed, and framed by the likes of a thousand angels. Her shoulders tapered from her long neck just perfectly enough to suggest a strong sense of passion and pride, but with enough counter-balance of respect and humbleness so as to make her highly desirable. Lithe, strong arms tapered down gently into soft, delicate hands with long, thin fingers that were as dexterous as they were devious. Her chest was possibly the most perfect of her features, just large enough to hint at her age and sophistication and maturity, but not crossing the line that would draw gawkers and droolers and those who would otherwise tease her or criticize her. A strong stomach from sports, both contact and non-contact, blended her chest into her hips, thinner at the waist as her curves were like to define her figure of exuberant beauty. Her hips were just cut so that they held her sturdily and could endure the exhaustive physical abuse from sports, yet delicate and flexible enough so that she was still most definitely feminine in appearance and demand, her appearance entirely uncompromised. Strong thighs, larger than Lilly's from use but not overly noticeably so, blended down into smooth, seamless calves, down further into thin, strong feet. Miley was a strong woman, physically, spiritually, emotionally, sexually, and she was not afraid of who she looked like and who she was. Lilly liked that about her. It was one of the many things about the girl that she was taken by.

Miley looked down, her eyes meeting Lilly's, interrupting her train of thought. It seemed awkward to Lilly, given that she had just been admiring her friend's body, but yet, Miley had no way of knowing what Lilly happened to be thinking. The simple guilty pleasures were beginning to overrule the blonde's sense of judgment.

Miley pointed at Lilly and made an 'okay' sign with her hand, tilting her head questioningly. Lilly nodded.

"Just...thinking about something."

Miley waited, seeming to want her to continue. Lilly tried to think about what to say.

"It's...not really something I can describe...not with words, at least."

Miley nodded in understanding.

"Speaking of which, we need to get you to learn a bit more."

Miley shook her head, minute nudges left and right. Lilly nodded, overemphasizing the motion.

"Oh yes, we do. Let's give you some more words to practice. First...say what you know how."

Miley screwed up her face. She swallowed and coughed, but the words that followed were whispered. "Lilly...Miley...daddy..." she shrugged. Lilly nodded.

"That's actually fairly good. We can easily build on that. You have 'Miley', your name, right?"

Miley nodded slowly.

"So you've got the sharp I, the weak I, the sharp E, and the weak A. Let's give you a U sound. How about...just try that. Three simple sounds. It's a 'y' sound, then a sharp E, then a sharp U. 'yeu'. Try it."

The brunette closed her eyes. Lilly could see her visualizing the word in her head. Y-O-U was such a simple concept of a word, but it seemed to be a bit more tricky for Miley to pronounce.

"Yyeeew," she said quietly. There was almost no use of her vocal cords behind the sound, save for a small squeak, but the word was clear and concise. Lilly clapped.

"Bravo! Yay Miley!"

Miley hung her head in embarrassment. Lilly giggled.

"Alright. Next, let's give you a sharp O sound. How about a greeting?"

Miley nodded slowly, still embarrassed.

"Try to say 'hello'. It's a breathy 'h' sound, then the weak E, then a 'lll' noise, then a round, sharp O. Try it!"

Once again, Miley leaned her head back, concentrating. She mouthed out each of the letters individually as they sounded, recreating the word within herself. Lilly watched a vein pulse in the side of the girl's head, right in the midst of the bump on her head. It was a bit disturbing to her to watch the blood struggling to maneuver its way around the crippled brain.

"Hhhellllooh..."

"Yes! Yes, good! Very good, Miley! You're very quick to get it!"

Another blush. "Ai...can't...sssspeeeek...rriiight..." she mumbled. There was a slight bit of use of vocal cords, though the majority of the sentence was a whisper. Lilly was astonished.

"Y-yeah, but you're getting better with each passing day, Miley! I believe in you. You can do it."

"Ai...doohn't...nnnoooh..."

"Sure you can! Look how well you're doing!"

The brunette shook her head, bringing her left arm to meet Lilly's left bicep. _It gives me such a terrible headache to try and speak, Lilly. I'm sorry...it's just so hard. I want to speak again, I do, but I have such a terrible, terrible pain right now._

"Relax, Miley. Speaking that much in one go is enough to give any speech impaired person a headache. You're doing fantastic."

"Nnoooh..."

"Yes. God, yes. Being able to say that much after such a short time from the incident? Miley, that's amazing."

_I haven't managed to use my vocal cords, though._

"Doesn't matter. Speech is speech, no matter what the circumstances. I think you're too quick to put yourself down, Miley. Have faith. You're getting it. You're doing in one day what most people with similar afflictions can't do for months. Trust me, Miley, you're doing a fabulous job."

_But I don't want to be told I'm doing a fabulous job, Lilly. I just want to learn to speak and forget about it._

Lilly paused. "So...you want me to teach you, and then you're gone? Just like that?"

Realization dawned on Miley's face and she immediately backpedaled. _Lilly, that's not what I meant! I don't want to forget about you and what I've learned, what I've discovered about myself._

"Miley."

The brunette stopped writing on Lilly's arm and locked eyes. Her irises were gray, that much was obvious in the moonlight. Lilly hated the gray; it usually signaled stress or malcontent.

"Come closer. I've got a secret to tell you."

Lilly's mouth went dry as Miley slowly slid to her knees beside her friend. Her ear came up close to Lilly's lips, but it wasn't what she had intended. She continued looking up at Miley leaned over the chair, waiting to hear what it was Lilly had to say.

Except that Lilly didn't have anything to say.

Her left hand cupped Miley's face, gently, and slowly lifted it up a bit, so that they were once again looking into each others' eyes.

It was now or never.

Lilly felt her heart pounding in her chest. Was she really about to find out who she was? Could Miley really be the one to tell her? Was it fate, or just chance? Was she ready to try and figure herself out?

Could she trust Miley?

She gently, ever-so-softly, stroked her thumb along Miley's cheek. Her eyes went from confused gray to emerald green. Her eyes slid halfway closed as she relaxed into Lilly's touch. It was now or never.

Lilly leaned up, tilting her chin just a bit. At the same time, her hand gently guided Miley down a bit, the brunette's chin hovering over the spot of skin between Lilly's nose and upper lip.

Could she trust Miley?

Her eyes slid slowly shut and she felt the heat from Miley's lips just barely brush against hers, the barely perceptible contact sending chills down her spine. She tilted up just a slight hair more, lowering Miley's face just that same small increment, and their bottom lips touched, tentatively, as though unsure of what to do. Lilly knew Miley would not move unless she took the first step, and so she gently teased Miley's plump bottom lip between her own, gently suckling on it for a brief moment between her own soft lips. Miley returned the gesture with all sweetness and innocence. It was only a short moment before Miley slowly stood back up, gazing down at Lilly in confusion, worry, and admiration.

Lilly was convinced. She had never before felt the emotion that she had just experienced in that brief moment. It was one of a fluttering heart, a flipping stomach, of soft sighs and gentle breathing with an excited body. She could not mistake the feeling of want still broiling within her stomach. It ached within her now, an ache she hadn't noticed before, and she was loathe to leave it sit.

Her left arm reached once again for Miley's face, but the brunette shook her head. Instead, she wheeled the chair back into Lilly's room, shutting the door gently with a light _click _of the handle. Lilly was confused; what the hell had just happened? She'd kissed Miley, that much was certain, but now she was back in her room without so much as a smile or a frown or anything? What the fuck?

Miley lifted her body up and lowered her gently back into the bed, sliding the flannels back off her legs and drawing the comforter up. A small amount of Lilly was relieved that Miley then crawled into the bed beside the blonde, but was even more relieved when she saw the green in her eyes that always spoke of joy and happiness. Though, now, the green was deeper than when she'd last seen it the weekend of the incident. Lilly believed this deep green could only mean one thing, but she had no proof.

That is, until Miley closed her eyes, gently scooted toward the blonde's waiting figure, and touched their lips together once again.

Lilly did not feel the fireworks or sparks that most people claimed. She did not feel any of those theatrical bullshit lies that people created just to claim they felt some sort of emotion, no. What she felt was akin to that of a butterfly's wings beating at the same instantaneous moment of a lion's roar within the same two millimeters of one another. It was not a spark, no explosion, no fireworks, none of that hocus-pocus. It was, simply, and without a doubt the single greatest feeling she'd ever had in her life, one that she had never felt for another individual prior to that day and time.

It was an emotion that Lilly had no word to describe, other than the same word that came to mind when gazing into Miley's gorgeous emerald eyes. It was the feeling of love; unconditional, reciprocated, and grid-iron. It bonded them together, it separated them, it made them at odds with one another and yet made them even, split them and joined them, broke them and fixed them, split them into opposites and sames on a spectrum of indefinite suppositions and intricate delicacies.

It was the simple, pure joy of being in love, and Lilly was confident that she could indeed trust Miley to be there for her when she needed her most, just as she would be in return.

* * *

**_Sappy Chappie. Sorry if you didn't like. Yay if you did. I'm not usually one to take stuff like this slow, but I think I've had enough girlfriends in the past to know what it feels like to kiss the person you believe is "the one," even if they later turn out to be some sort of slut, bitch, or whore, whatever the case may be. Ah well. Hopefully you all enjoyed and are looking forward to more; Liley is starting to surface here within this story. Hopefully it's not too soon, but as this is the tenth chapter and I will be shifting gears back to The Angel Of Death until I update that story, I figured you guys needed some sort of happy note to end on. I love all you guys, and I'll be back to this story really soon! :)_**


	11. Meeting the Maker

_**A/N: I didn't write quite as much for this chapter. Ah well. No biggie. At least I got it done. Chapter 8 of The Angel Of Death is up. I don't know when i'll update next. I know that I have plenty of ideas for a storyline, and I think I figured out today how it's all going to flow.**_

_**Truscott: Well, if you liked the last chapter, you'll hate this one. Especially the ending. I've got yet another twist. :D**_

_**Wade: The day I got your reply, I reread it four times. I have to say, I've thought long and hard about how to respond to this review of yours. You may question and disagree with my belief that children turn out like their parents speech...but I am adamant. Biologically, there is a thing that humans are made of: DNA. DNA of a human baby cannot exist without one strand from the mother and one from the father. No matter what you do to try and raise the child, he will inherit physical, mental, and emotional traits from his father that are completely unforeseen in the eyes of the mother. You say it doesn't always happen in real life, but you'd be scared to find out how often children are exact replicas of their parents. The sons are like their fathers; the daughters are like their mothers. Even aunts and uncles and grandparents figure into the family tree and trait development. Scientifically, we are doomed to obtain some, if not all, of our parents mannerisms and ideas. Had Miley not aborted the baby...her life would literally be fucked. She wouldn't be able to return to school; she'd have a child to take care of. Her father wouldn't be able to support the child, no matter how much he'd try; remember, he struggles to eke out a living. The child would end up in foster care or an orphanage. Not a good way to go. Miley would forever have that guilt. Then there's the growth factor. The child would forever resent his father for being scum, his mother for not providing better, himself for being born, his peers for the taunting, his God for damning him to hell's fires. Whether or not the father played into it...the man still factors in. You cannot simply disregard the father from the equation; you cannot create a child with only an egg and an empty chromosome. Biology class states such. It would most certainly have reason, given the upbringing situation. It could very well have turned out to be an emo, a druggie, a rapist, one of those troubled kids in high school who suddenly goes ballistic and brings a gun in to kill everyone. The baby is only pure and innocent so long as the bad gene doesn't exist. Surprisingly, I am pro-life. But nobody, NOBODY, should ever have to deal with the consequences of a rape baby. Ever. No matter who you are or how much you claim you could love the child. And while children can learn from their parents and their mistakes, it only serves to reinforce the simple biological truth that children will inevitably replicate their parents as they grow and learn and mature. The only thing that could make the child healthy and whole is if he had the drive to change himself, but that drive would have had to be instilled by a terrible parent. Miley would have to beat the child, abuse him, leave him broken, just the way my grandparents did to my own parents, so that they would break the mold and become better people as a result. Keep in mind, my intention was not to shoot down your argument; you claimed that mine was flimsy, but there was no way to legitimately state this within the context of the story. It wouldn't fit. I couldn't simply list all of this; there was too much there. It all had to be either implied or deduced or otherwise researched outside of the story's context. I'm not trying to be a prick or a bitch; I've learned that arguments are not to define a winner, but to come away enlightened. You're right: I didn't create a very realistic situation, nor did I accurately defend my argument. Hopefully I changed that opinion with this reply. :)**_

_**xxDarkAngelBabyxx: Well, hopefully this is ASAP enough for you. :)**_

_**desertstormx: Ah, but Kitten is so much like his father it's scary. Look at the similarities. Look at what they fight for. They're the same person on opposite ends of a debate. As for the drama in this story...this chapter begins the surfacing of more drama and pain. Yikes. But enjoy. :)**_

_**Katherine: Ahaha...you won't be thinking that after this chapter.**_

_**Morbid Crow: Some might say otherwise. And, oh yes, there is a ton of drama revealed on the first day back. I debated leaving the drama until Tuesday, but this had to be said ASAP. It creates a deeper conflict, one that only becomes more pronounced as I continue to add my twists. There is at least one more twist after this chapter. Possibly two. And...a very uncomfortable scene coming up around Chapter 15 or 16 if I plan it right. I'm debating on a sequel; it depends on popular demand and what kind of story I could create to follow this one. ;)**_

_**SGM: As I told Crowy, there's possibly two large ones left, not counting this chapter. Then there's the uncomfortable scene. I'll denote when the uncomfortable scene comes up; it'll be in my Author's Note at the beginning of the chapter and I'll put in the line-break-thingy as a sort of precaution. I don't want to weird out my readers if they come across something that doesn't agree with them. As for the relationship...truthfully, all Lilly's looking for is a source of security and companionship that she lacks. Miley seems to show signs of what she's looking for...but are the signs real, or a mirage? I'm not trying to confuse you, I just always want you to be asking "What if?", ya know?**_

_**Right. I've typed enough for one day. I'll have a post-chapter follow-up note, but for now...enjoy Chapter 11.**_

* * *

Chapter 11: Meeting The Maker

Lilly finally decided to open her well-rested eyes when the sun was high in the sky and the air was warmer than normal with the promise of summer's approach. She blinked once, then let her eyes trace idly over Miley's features. She looked gorgeous, even while sleeping; her hair had a light tangle added to its curls and she still hung onto Lilly's now-numb arm as though it were a lifeline. Lilly smiled.

"Miiileeeeey," she called gently. The brunette shook her head and pulled the blonde's left arm toward her body. Lilly giggled. Her next action was to place a small kiss on Miley's nose, which crinkled a bit from the touch. The next kiss met a cheek.

The next met soft, waiting lips. Lilly could tell from the way Miley held herself back that the brunette had been looking forward to more kissing.

Wait. Lilly didn't even know the girl before her. She pulled away slightly, gazing into Miley's eyes, which opened in curiosity upon break of contact.

"Miley...is this real?"

The brunette nodded, eyes wide with seriousness. Lilly sighed gently.

"I feel like I don't know you all that well, yet here I am kissing you. I...I just don't know. I want to know who you are, Miley...who you've become. All I know is the way you used to be as a girl. Now you're a woman. So much changed. I want to know you...the _real _you, not the rumors I hear around school that you never sleep or that you're dating Jake Ryan."

Miley smiled at the last statement. Lilly had known it wasn't true to start with, but now that Miley found it humorous, she felt just as relieved as she felt relaxed. Miley had a way of doing that to her. The blonde could never understand what it was Miley did to her, but she sure didn't want to complain.

"I want to know you, Miley. I want to know I'm going to be safe. I don't want to be that scared little girl like I was all those years ago, looking for an arm to cling to."

Lilly realized she shouldn't have said it once it was out of her mouth. For Miley had not released her grip on Lilly's numb arm. Miley, however, was unperturbed. She only served to lace her fingers in between Lilly's.

"I shouldn't have said that."

_It doesn't matter, really _Miley scribed on her hand. Lilly got better and better at interpreting the letters, and Miley only got better and better at writing them. It would take a while for Miley to be able to communicate in such a way with Lilly perfectly, but they could have cared less. So long as they were learning about each other and had plenty of kisses coming, all would work itself out in the end.

"So...what's changed since you were in grade school?"

Miley shrugged. Another kiss met Lilly's lips; she took this to mean that they'd talk about it later. Miley seemed very affectionate, very clingy, almost as though she were unstable. Lilly didn't like that.

"Miley, are you alright?"

_Scared._

"Of?"

_Losing you._

Lilly smiled gently at her. "Miley, you don't have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere," Lilly promised. Miley looked relieved, but melted even further with the deep, passionate, lip-sucking kiss Lilly graced her with. It was like heaven in a box. Lilly never wanted the moment to end. Ever.

_(time lapse)_

The remainder of the week passed by without much interruption. Lilly spent most of her time in bed, her laptop propped on her lap. Her clothing consisted of a short night shirt and a thong. If she ever needed the facilities or food, it was very easy to slide herself into the wheelchair that sat waiting beside the bed, roll the chair around with her foot and left hand, and accomplish what she needed to. Sometimes, Max gave her a helpful push where she needed to go. He had begun talking with her often while in the privacy of her room, talking about anything. Lilly had asked why at one point, and the answer nearly brought her to tears.

"I don't want to lose my big sister. She's my role-model, no matter what mom and dad say."

So innocent, so pure, so naïve was he. Nothing Lilly could do but feel appreciated for once. Well, twice, given Miley, but she definitely felt more self-confident with her brother's added emotional support and dependence. Part of her wished he wouldn't care so much. Part of her felt very glad that someone in her family did.

It was with a fair amount of stress that Lilly got herself dressed for school, though she had opted for shorts that flared slightly at the knee so that she could fit the mass of gauze and bandaging within her clothing. A blanket covered her lap and her brother wheeled her out the door. The junior high school was right across the street anyways and he had been happy to assist her in getting to school. She would have to navigate classes, but there was always Miley for that. It was with glowing azure eyes that Lilly met Miley at the front gate and said goodbye to her younger brother.

"I missed you," Lilly said quietly, feeling relieved and excited that she could finally see Miley again. The brunette smiled and once again resorted to her whiteboard to speak.

_I missed you too. I...I told my daddy about us, and he's really happy. He said that he saw it coming._

Lilly chuckled. "So _that's _what he meant."

Miley gave her a questioning look. Lilly shook her head, smiling. "It's not important." And truly, it wasn't. Mildly humorous, but not important.

"So, what class are you off to?"

_Pre-cal. They gave me math bright and early in the morning. I guess it's the school's way of saying that I need to wake up._

"Yikes. That stinks. My first class is P.E. Thankfully I'm on injury leave. Means I get to sit out for a while. I dunno how they'll grade me, but I don't have to do it."

She smiled up at Miley, who shook her head, a grin on her face. _You're...amazing._

"Is that a bad thing?"

_No._

"Then why does it matter?"

_Because you should know how much you mean to me._

If Lilly were butter, she would have melted into her chair. Miley was so sweet and kind, totally opposite of what she had been when she was a little girl. Lilly decided she'd have to open up more with Miley; the kisses had only been tentative. Love-struck, sure, but tentative. Miley deserved better, right? After all, wasn't she making an honest attempt for Lilly's sake?

Still...there was that nagging feeling in the back of her conscious mind...

Lilly brushed it off as nothing. She had Miley. That was all that mattered.

The brunette grasped hold of the wheelchair's handles and pushed the blonde into the school. Instantly, Miley was flogged with curious nobodies and nosy twits that hadn't bothered to investigate her absence and waited instead until she returned. Her head had regained its natural color, but the stitches had yet to be removed.

"Miley, what happened?"

"Where were you?"

"What's on your head?"

"How come you didn't come over last weekend?"

"Where were you for practices?"

"The competition is in less than a month!"

"I hope you've been practicing."

"_Enough!_" Lilly cried. Everyone looked at her, glaring angrily. Miley laid a hand on Lilly's shoulder, squeezing it gratefully.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"That's the Truscott bitch."

"You mean the retard?"

"Yeah, the stupid one. I heard she smokes weed."

"I heard she's trailer trash."

"What the fuck are you doing hanging with this slut, Miley?"

The words stung Lilly's emotions. "Fat lot you know," she said haughtily.

"Excuse me?" a dark-skinned woman standing before her asked. "Do you know who I am?"

"Amber Addison. Head of the ASB and biggest slut in the school. If you truly cared about Miley, you would have asked her about her absence long before today."

Amber scoffed. "You have no right to talk to me that way, Truscott. You're trash, remember?"

Lilly was neglect to answer. The name-calling didn't bother her anymore. She just smiled at Amber.

"That, right there, proved to me how little you truly know about me."

"I don't need to know that much about you to know that you're nothing."

"Apparently, I must be somewhat of a something in order for your beloved Miley to be carting me around in a wheelchair."

"Which reminds me: Miley, what the fuck are you doing hanging with this?"

No response.

"What, did she tell you to shut up?"

No response.

"Are you ignoring me?"

"Well, honestly, I can't even ignore you and I'm trying my very hardest," Lilly said plainly. Amber glared at her.

"What the fuck does _that _mean?"

"It means that Miley _can't _talk. Not 'she doesn't want to', Amber. She _can't_."

"Since when?"

"Since the car crash that nearly killed us on Sunday afternoon in the pouring rain."

The faces of everyone in the group paled. Lilly blinked, still maintaining a very calm, very dignified gaze with Amber's shocked eyes.

"Yeah, scary, isn't it? To think that you almost lost Miley. What a shame. She could have been dead all this time and you wouldn't have known. Bless your souls, you must feel so proud."

"Who the hell are you to be speaking for Miley?" Amber asked pointedly, regaining her composure for a minute.

"I was in that car. Or did you not hear me earlier? The car crash that nearly killed _us_. She wasn't the only one, Amber. Not only that...she saved my life, at the price of her voice. Now, if you're done being a stupid bitch, you can please get yourself and your cronies out of our way; we have some classes we'd like to attend, and you're preventing us from moving."

The chair moved forward slightly and the knot untied, a large fissure splitting it wide open. Miley easily pushed Lilly's chair through the gap and maneuvered them down the hall of English classrooms. Miley laid her whiteboard gently on Lilly's lap and knelt beside the blonde as they sat beside the wall.

_Thanks for that._

"Miley, it's my job to look out for you. Just like you're so determined to look out for me."

_I'm partly responsible. I should have been more careful that day in the rain._

"It doesn't matter. You're trying to fix it now. That's all I care about. That alone means more to me than anything."

Miley smiled and tucked a strand of Lilly's soft, blonde hair behind her ear. Lilly suddenly felt very conscious of the fact that she'd managed to get a shower the night before, having taken extra care to not reinjure her already-damaged arm and heavily-bandaged leg. The simple feeling of cleanliness was the best feeling in the world to her.

_Lilly...promise me you'll try and pay attention in class. I think you can learn a lot if you sit and write some notes, even if they don't seem to make sense._

"Miley, my writing is atrocious. How will I ever read my own scripture?"

Miley bit her lip. _I can help teach you how to change your writing to look nicer..._

"No, you're doing enough already," Lilly stated adamantly. Miley shook her head.

_I'm not doing enough for you, Lilly. I owe it to you...I don't want to lose you._

"You won't lose me, Miley," Lilly replied quietly, resting her head against Miley's. The brunette sighed.

_I always worry that I'll somehow end up pushing you away._

"Miley."

The brunette looked up. Lilly took the opportunity to grant Miley a light, soothing peck on the lips. "You don't have to worry about that. It would take a lot to push me away, more than you're capable and willing to do."

_You think so?_

"I _know _so," she replied. Miley smiled again.

_You always know what to say to make me smile._

"Because I love it when you smile. It really lights up your eyes. They become the prettiest shade of green when you do."

Miley blushed. _They do not._

"Do so. I'm looking at that shade of green right now."

Miley seemed compelled to gaze at Lilly's azure eyes, something which Lilly was happy to let her do. She never wanted the moment to end, but the loud, shrill cry of the bell made her groan in trepidation of the day to come.

"I don't want to go to class."

Miley giggled, even though no sound came out. _Trust me. This day will be over soon enough. Hang with your friends at lunch; Lord knows mine will want my company. Then we'll head to your place after school to teach each other, right?_

"Sounds like a plan."

Students began to flow into the halls. Lilly sighed.

"I just wish I had another."

Miley nodded, standing. _I do too...so badly_ the whiteboard read.

The brunette pushed the chair into the doorway of Lilly's English classroom, giving her one final squeeze on the left shoulder before leaving. It was with a heavy heart that Lilly began her day, mentally rehearsing the speech she had already planned for her teachers that day. She groaned. It was going to be a long haul.

_(time lapse)_

Finally, the end of the day came around. It had been strenuous for Lilly, to say the least; she had pretty much been left to fend for herself and get to her classes in a semi-timely fashion; none of her teachers faulted her for showing up late. Her English teacher was thrilled when she showed up to join him for his first period conference time. They had a very lengthy discussion about writing and development of plotline. Lilly definitely felt very well educated after the discussion and was a bit relieved when the teacher called over to the PhysEd department to let them know that she was indeed on injury leave and that she was with him. The rest of the day had been far less interesting. Even lunch had been a drag; she hadn't even headed out to the quad to meet with her friends. She had no reason to. They would only pressure her. She hadn't even left her fourth period classroom until there were ten minutes left on the lunch hour, after which she went to fifth. Geometry after that and she was home free. Miley came and got her from the classroom, exhausted and gloomy, but seeing Lilly brightened her up considerably.

_I missed not seeing you all day._

"I can agree with that," the blonde replied. Miley wheeled her from the classroom, out of earshot of the teacher.

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to do this every day, Miley. I'm exhausted."

_Did you take notes?_

"I wrote down everything. _Everything._"

_Then you have every right to be tired. Note-taking is actually very stressful._

"How?"

_You have to think about what you're writing. You also have to know what it means._

"Not necessarily...you're tutoring me, right?"

_While that's true...you shouldn't rely entirely on me. There will come a day when I won't be there to teach you._

The thought scared Lilly for reasons unknown to her. Life without Miley beside her? She hated spending any kind of time away from the girl, let alone a life. Yikes.

"Miley...it was so hard going just today without seeing you. Especially...after Monday...and this morning."

Miley sighed. She had brought the chair out front of the school, stopping the chair's movement to kneel beside the blonde that sat in it.

_It was hard for me, too...I just don't want to depend on you. I don't mean that to be a bad person or anything...I just want to be independent to some degree._

"We don't have to be one-hundred-percent independent, Miley. We can be dependent on each other, right? I mean, we kinda already are, but...you know what I mean?"

The brunette nodded. She moved to write something, but a shadow distracted her as it cast itself over her.

"Hey, Lilly," Oliver's voice said coolly. Miley glanced up at the boy, then jumped to her feet, putting some distance between them. Lilly was a bit disturbed by the behavior.

"What's up, Ollie?"

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Car crash."

Lilly felt just as frustrated with Oliver as she had with the bitch brigade from the morning. He hadn't even come looking for her during the week or the day. Only now that he saw her outside did he say anything.

"Who's the girl?"

"Miley Stewart."

He looked up at the brunette. Lilly watched his eyes twitch.

"I see..."

"Don't you know her?"

"I do...not personally, mind, but I do."

Lilly became suspicious. He was acting odd. So was Miley.

"Right...I'll see you tomorrow, Ollie," she said stiffly. He nodded and stalked away, looking extremely uncomfortable. Miley latched onto the handles of the wheelchair and began shoving it toward Lilly's house, which thankfully was within walking distance of the school. Silence followed them the whole journey.

"Miley, will you tell me what's going on?"

Finally, the door shut behind them. Miley shoved the chair down the hall and shut Lilly's door impatiently.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Lilly asked, trying to look over her shoulder. Miley threw herself into Lilly's bed. Lilly was unnerved.

"Miley, please, talk to me."

The whiteboard earned a lot of scribbling. _It's hard to say, Lilly...so very hard._

"Hard to say what? What are you talking about? What does Oliver have to do with this?"

Miley pounded her fist into the mattress. Her head came up and foggy, tear-streaked eyes met with Lilly's. Unsteady writing glowed against the white surface of the board.

"Miley, what could be so wrong to make you like this?"

_Lilly...do you remember what I told you? About the baby?_

"What about it?"

_He was the one._

"What one?"

Miley gazed helplessly at Lilly. It finally smashed into her like a freight train, leaving her crushed and limp.

"Oliver...Oliver raped you that night...a-and got you pregnant...didn't he?"

The look on Miley's face said it all.

* * *

_**Two time-lapses in one chapter is a bit counter-productive, but I had no reason to write about the day. Nothing eventful ever happens at school, right? Ehehehe...it may just come back to bite us later on. Anyways, I'm glad I got this out, even if it's hard for some to believe or think about. Does it just fly in the face of everything you know, or what? Then again...isn't Oliver the one guy friend that Lilly can trust with her life? Scary thought there. Reviews are always nice. Thanks for reading, and I love you guys. ~Kyttin**_


	12. Cataclysm

**_A/N: It seems like each time I write a chapter, it gets a bit shorter. By a bit, I mean about 400 words. Fuck. I must remedy this problem. However, I've had a very long, very exhaustive week. After I post this, I'm going to go drown in my jacuzzi for an hour or so. _**

**_Truscott: I feel a bit dissatisfied with the way I've played it off thusfar. Even in this chapter. But I wanted a more lovey-dovey-esque scene here to contrast with the darkness from the previous chapter. Next chapter, Lilly will most likely have a discussion with Oliver about his actions. _**

**_lovely kagome15: Glad to see that! :)_**

**_Wade: I must apologize. I didn't intend for this to become such a big issue. You argued your point, and you're right: I had (and still have) sort-of a bad reason for why the abortion was carried out. All I wanted was to state my argument so that we both walk away with something. I didn't want you getting shoved under the bus from all of this, dude. I'm sorry about that. :S_**

**_Morbid Crow: Next chapter. This one has to step away for a moment, give Lilly time to clear her mind. And as for the sequel...depends on which side of the keyboard you're sitting on. XD_**

**_desertstormx: The first time I read your review, I laughed so hard I cried. That first line made my day yesterday. And actually, it kinda inspired me. Sorta. Not in the course of the storyline, but in what to write for next chapter. Every action has a reason. I seem to recall I've not stated a reason nor given Oliver a chance to defend himself. As for Angel Of Death...I'll be a little while before updating that one. This story has captivated my interest, especially with all the hype and reviews._**

**_Onlyforyou-910: Glad to see you're enjoying it! And...I hate to be the spelling police, but it's "Kyttin". ^^''_**

**_SGM: Aha! I must be very good at playing out my stories, then. I don't think you're in my head because then I'd constantly feel crowded. Right now I just feel like the world is crumbling around me. Bit different of a catastrophe; at least this way I know who I am. As for the twists and turns and flips and loops and other roller-coaster-esque elements of this story...just wait. There's yet more to come. As I said before, there are a couple of twists left, and a very uncomfortable section of the story yet to be written. I don't know yet if there is a happy ending or not._**

**_xxDarkAngelBabyxx: Hopefully this is ASAP enough for you. :D_**

**_Also, thanks to GrandTheftManual and makurutenoh for the +watches and to lovely kagome15 and makurutenoh for the +favs. It really does mean the world to me, guys. Hopefully this story will continue to capture your attention for however long it takes to play out. :D_**

**_And now, onward to the twelfth chapter of this slowly-spinning story._**

* * *

Chapter 12: Cataclysm

"He...but...I..._what?_"

Miley quailed as she lay sprawled, limp and scarred, across Lilly's bed. The blonde was terrifyingly fearsome when she wanted to be. Lilly knew it. She hated it. But she couldn't find any reasonable way to blockade the anger.

Her books were the first under assault. They slammed into the walls and the door as Lilly heaved them as hard as she could from the depths of her backpack. She was pissed. Beyond pissed. There was no word to describe her anger. No feeling. Nothing evident.

Just blind rage. Blind, overpowering rage.

Her mind flared and blanked and she stood up, moving to shake Miley, make her talk. Her bad leg gave out, and she crumpled to the floor. Unfortunately, her right arm broke her fall. The rage only grew as she screamed.

"That...that _TRASH! I'LL FUCKING MURDER HIM!_"

Again, Lilly moved to stand, and again, she fell onto her broken arm. Both arm and leg screamed in pain, violently protesting to the movement and stress. Fuck, it hurt so badly. Lilly couldn't move. She was blinded by anger and pain. Miley had been raped. _Raped._

"What the fuck did you ever do to God, Miley? Why does he hate you?" Lilly whispered into the carpet. Miley gently lifted Lilly back into her chair, checking the broken arm and the battered leg. The arm sported new bruises and stains. The leg was unreadable; the gauze completely covered it, even with Lilly's pants removed. Miley gazed at the blonde in fear and apology.

"Why, Miley? Why did it have to be Oliver?"

The brunette's tears dropped silently down her face. Lilly fumed angrily.

_We need to get you back to the doctor. He needs to look at your arm._

"Fuck that. We need to get back to Oliver. I'm going to rip him a new ass!"

_No._

The whiteboard message was startlingly clear. "No?"

Miley did not move the board. She was still crying openly, but was not changing her message. Lilly struggled to maintain some form of outward calm.

"So...you're okay with it? You're just going to let it go? Let him get away with what he did?"

Miley lowered the board; there was no answer in her eyes.

"He _raped _you! Got you pregnant, no less! What the fuck? How can you just let him walk?"

No answer.

"I don't care who he is! I trusted that fucker with my life. _I TRUSTED HIM!_"

The entire ceiling shook as Lilly's lungs drained of maximum capacity. Miley flinched; the noise was deafening to say the least.

"I'm going to find him and kill him. His ass is mine. He'll eat his balls for breakfast. NOBODY has the right to do that to anyone."

The chair whipped around as Lilly threw her weight down on the wheel. She then began working herself down the hallway, Miley fighting her every stroke of her arm.

"Miley, let me go!"

The brunette hung on tighter.

"I said, let go!"

The brunette refused to comply. Lilly lit up like a fireball and stood, her bad leg quivering. Her body subconsciously did its best not to place weight upon it, but there was no help; something had to give. Lilly's leg did just that, once again, this time bringing her broken elbow into the cabinet in the hall. She shrieked.

"Goddamn that driver. This fucking leg. My fucking arm! I'll kill him! He's mine!"

She stood, leaning against the wall for support. Before she could move, a mane of brunette hair entered her field of vision.

"Stop!"

Everything froze. Lilly glared into Miley's eyes angrily. Miley looked at her just as determinedly. Everything hung in neutral point balance. Fuck. What the hell was going on?

"Did...did you just speak?"

Miley nodded, never breaking gaze. Lilly felt everything drain from her body, and she fell backward into the wheelchair, landing perfectly in a sitting position. Miley then spun the chair gently and pushed her back into her room.

"Miley, you spoke."

The brunette shrugged it off. _I couldn't do it again if you asked me to. It just...sorta came to me._

"Try again!"

She shook her head. _It's not that simple. If it was, I'd be talking again right now. I don't even know what I said, to be honest._

"You said 'stop'."

_I don't remember. I just...it kinda came out. _

"Why?"

_Why what?_

"Why stop?"

_He's your best friend, Lilly. I shouldn't interfere with that._

The brunette looked a bit sad. To Lilly, it was the biggest load of crap she'd ever read. Without thinking, she reached for Miley's arm and dragged the brunette close to her, blessing her lips with a tentative kiss. It was one that asked for permission more than it spoke of passion, and Lilly was delighted to find that permission was granted. She pulled away quickly, touching her fingers to her tingling lips.

"Woah. Miley. What are we doing?"

Miley shrugged, looking worried.

"Are...are we serious about this? About all of this?"

Miley now looked confused.

"W-well...I feel like I'm interested in you...and you seem to be interested in me...does that make us gay for each other? Are we...dating?"

Miley thought about it for a moment. _Would you like for that to be the case?_

"I...I think I would, actually. Very much."

Miley smiled. _Then we're dating._

"Just like that?"

_Just like that._

"Huh...it seems so weird...I haven't even been around you for a month, and yet we're getting into a relationship. I didn't even think I was gay."

_Is it too soon?_

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant! I just...I wish I could say that I knew if it's the right thing for us to do."

Miley nodded. _I do too. But we can figure it out together, right? We can tell each other if it isn't right, agreed?_

Lilly sighed. "I wish I could just...murder Oliver and leave him to rot. That...that little spitfuck...I trusted him with my life, Miley. Look what he did to you."

The brunette hung her head. Lilly reached her arm out and laced her fingers between Miley's, attempting to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, Miley..."

_It's okay. It's one of the things I like about you._

"My incompetence and ability to bring up the worst possible subjects at the worst possible times?"

_No. The fact that you care so much. _

Lilly blinked. "Are you serious?"

_Deadly._ The smile on Miley's face only served to reassure the blonde of the soothing words.

"Come closer."

The brunette obliged, and Lilly began showering her face with kisses, sweet and light and like so many tiny butterflies lightly grazing the smooth, clean skin they encountered. And Lilly could tell from the way Miley leaned over her body and held the blonde's cheek in her palm that Miley wanted to return every single one of them, with just as much fervor and gentleness. To Lilly, how fast they progressed was yet to be determined. She didn't care if she had to wait forever for this girl. She believed, in the context of that instant, that she would care for Miley no matter what it took, no matter how long she had to wait.

Tuesday brought its share of problems. Lilly now had the looming factor of Oliver's indecent crime hanging over her head. She hadn't yet decided how to deal with it. She also hadn't decided what to do about Miley. Were they together? She was under the impression that they were dating, yet it didn't feel that way. There wasn't anything particularly special about their relationship, was there? Fuck. Oh, hell yes, there was. There had to be something special in there in order for Miley to be blessing the girl with such sweet, tender, passionate kisses that breached the walls of her soul and made her come alive.

But was it love, or just simple passion?

To that, Lilly had no ready answer. Her brain muddled through the day, her body subconsciously taking notes in every class about everything related to the subject matter while her mind wandered. At times she felt depressed. At times she was high. At times she was angry. At times she was aroused. During one such state of arousal at the thought of having Miley locked in her room, all to herself and her guilty pleasures, she had to physically restrain herself from fingering her swollen, screaming clit as it gently chafed against the inside of her panties. She could feel the moist heat soaking into her jeans. Wet enough for her to notice. Not enough for others. Besides, she was sitting in a wheelchair. Nobody would know that she was having extremely erotic thoughts, would they?

They might. There was always the sweet smell of her womanhood as it flexed and spasmed. She wondered what Miley smelled like, tasted like, orgasmed like. Fuck. Too much. If she got any further, she'd probably start grinding on something in the middle of class. She still had half the period to go before the day was over. Curse you, boring Geometry work. You ruin happiness.

After an age and a day, the bell rang, and Lilly waited for Miley to show up, which of course the brunette was glad to do, judging by the large smile on her face and the deep, emerald hue of her irises. Lilly began to believe that the green meant love or passion or lust, to varying degrees of intensity, but the color was deeply intoxicating and moving. As though Miley herself had no control over it. Lilly wondered what her own azure eyes looked like when she was aroused or in love. She didn't dare ask. Such a question would be so terribly awkward she would have no reasonable explanation out of it.

"How was your day?" Lilly asked, trying to will her voice so that the slightly gravelly undertone died. Her groin did nothing to help her alleviate the stress; if anything, it compounded it.

_Alright. Long and tiring, mostly. Yours?_

"Full of thinking. Hey, shouldn't you be out for practice sessions with your team right now?"

_What?_

"Well, it's spring. Isn't soccer a spring sport?"

Miley stopped walking; the wheelchair kept rolling, slowly coming to a halt just before Lilly collided with the doors at the end of the hall. She looked over her shoulder to see a very startled Miley standing in the hall.

"What's gotten into you?"

Miley rushed to Lilly and scribed on the whiteboard again. _You're right! No wonder Amber was breathing down my back yesterday. Sheesh, how could I forget?_

"Hey, relax. Just push me out there and I'll watch."

_Practice is only Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Nothing on Tuesday._

"So then...do we just go back to my place?"

_If you'd like._

"Well, what would _you _like?"

_Whatever makes you happy._

Lilly's face darkened. "Miley, a relationship is built on the desires and compromises of both individuals. You shouldn't have to bend over backwards to meet my wants and needs."

_I just want you to be happy._

"You already accomplished that. Yesterday is my proof."

Lilly blew an air kiss at Miley, making the brunette smile. _Aww, how cute._

"Yeah, yeah, don't get used to it. So, honestly, do you want to go to my place or yours?"

Miley hesitated. Lilly could see the debate in her clouded gray eyes. _I don't want to disrespect my daddy, but at the same time, I don't really want to go to my house..._

"Then we go to my place. Why are you so worried about your dad?"

_He does everything he can for me. He even gives up sleep for me, Lilly. I feel horrible knowing that I'm doing nothing in return._

"Miley, stop. We're teenagers. There's not much we _can _do for our parents. Especially with an economy as fucked as this one. We're being pissed away down the toilet as citizens because the economy is dragging us down. Miley, your dad isn't the only one that's hurting, I guarantee that, but please, don't be mad at yourself for all that he does for you. Do the one thing that I can't."

_Which would be?_

"Love your parent."

Miley was still for a moment, gazing into Lilly's eyes. Lilly could tell that Miley saw the anguish.

_Why can't you love yours?_

"Because they turned their backs on me. They've now left me to fend for myself. Guess I've gotta grow up a bit now. Don't worry. My grades will be in the mailbox when I get home today. I'll show them. I know I did good on those finals."

_What will the finals do?_

"I told my mother that, no thanks to her, I'd be bringing her good grades just to rub her stuck-up nose in them."

_Should you be doing that?_

"Probably not. She just...frustrates me so much. I have no way to vent now that I'm injured. Fuck..."

Miley gently opened the door and wheeled Lilly outside, right smack dab into the last person that either of them had wanted to see at that point in time.

"Hey, Lilly," the dark-haired boy greeted. He had a warm, casual smile on his face, though his eyes flicked nervously to Miley every now and again. Lilly came unglued and socked him in the stomach for all she had. The boy fell to the ground, clutching his abdomen, looking up at Lilly with an expression akin to that of remorse, though it could have very well just been the grimace from the impact.

"I trusted you," Lilly said darkly. "I fucking trusted you and you decided that Miley made a better toy than treasure. Well, fuck you too, asshole. Some piece-of-shit best friend you turned out to be."

Miley was quickly wheeling Lilly away toward the house, but not fast enough; Lilly knew that if she didn't get into the sanctuary of her bedroom soon, she would explode. She did not want to vent. Not like that. Not in front of Miley.

Luckily, she kept her lid on until Miley got them home and into her bedroom. The bomb diffused immediately. Lilly wanted nothing but to see her grades and hold Miley in her arms.

"Miley...can we go get the mail? I'm feeling calmer now. And what I did to him, versus what I would have liked to do...let's just say he got off lucky."

Miley nodded. The chair remained parked while Miley left the room, presumably to go get the envelopes in the rusty copper mailbox hanging beside the front door. The footsteps and shuffling of paper as the brunette worked her way down the hall confirmed Lilly's belief. A single envelope dropped from the ceiling and landed in her lap, addressed from the school district to her parents. She tore the perforated sheet and slid it off the note, unfolding the letter it hid to read the words.

P.E. (10-12). Grade: A. Citz: S. WkHbt: S. Very energetic

English 10 P. Grade: B-. Citz: O. WkHbt: S. Inspires classroom discussion

World Hist P. Grade: C. Citz: S. WkHbt: S. Pays attention in class.

Phys Sci P. Grade: C+. Citz: S. WkHbt: S. Low test scores.

Health Ed. Grade: B-. Citz: S. WkHbt: S. Low homework scores.

Geometry P. Grade: C+. Citz: O. WkHbt: S. Low homework scores.

Lilly's heart thrummed in her throat. Three C's, two B's, and an A. It was enough to make her breathe a sigh of relief. The finals really had boosted her grades just by studying for them. It was the greatest feeling in the world for her to know that she had finally achieved decent grades in her high-school career. Now she had something to rub her mother's nose in. Those three D's had come up. The C's had come up. She was proud of herself. She did some rough guesstimating math and realized she had a solid B average, more or less.

"Miley...I did it."

She handed the paper up to the brunette, who perched very carefully on the edge of the bed. Her eyes scanned the paper and her face filled with relief.

_You had it in you all along._

"Not without you."

Miley smiled. She gathered all the mail together and moved to exit the room, but Lilly caught her with her good arm, dragging her down toward the broken body. A searing kiss met their lips, and Lilly heard the sound of paper falling way off in the distance. It didn't matter. Nothing did. Only Miley. Nothing but Miley.

The brunette cradled Lilly's face in her hands, as though unsure of herself. Lilly felt far more aggressive than Miley was acting, but even though she tried to convey a small portion of the feeling, she had to restrain herself. If she acted too quickly, she ran the risk of pushing Miley away. She wanted that even less than she wanted to wait, and she hated waiting for anything. Fuck. Why did life have to be so complicated?

She poured everything she felt, everything she wanted to feel, everything she was thinking and acknowledging and disregarding and ignoring was forced through the seemingly infinitesimally small connection that was the joining point of their moist, warm mouths. Lilly tentatively gapped her lips a bit and touched Miley's with her tongue. She noted the sharp inhalation of breath on Miley's end and decided she'd startled the girl; she didn't want to overpressure Miley into anything. She wanted everything to take its time until they were ready-

A tongue tentatively threaded its way between Lilly's lips, but paused. Lilly poked it with her own tongue, and she felt Miley's mouth widen as the intruder drew backwards from whence it came. Slowly, gently, carefully, and even teasingly, Lilly poked the tip of her tongue into Miley's mouth, which only widened more. Lilly took it as permission to enter and poked her tongue out a bit more, and a bit more, until she twisted it over and looped it around Miley's like a protective blanket. Miley shivered. Lilly felt exactly the same way, though did not show it.

They grazed tongues for a bit, dragging their tastebuds against one another until Lilly slowly drew back into her own mouth. The kiss parted, their shining lips covered in saliva, slowly cooling from the atmosphere. Miley gently pressed her mouth to her sleeve, her eyes clearly communicating her feelings to Lilly in the silence of the room.

_Wow...That. Was. Amazing._

_

* * *

_

**_Aww...I can be a bit of a sap sometimes. Maybe I'll make another softie chapter for those of you hopeless romantics out there. Maybe it'll be more lustful for those who are as perverted as I. Maybe it'll be horrid, maybe it'll be awesome. Maybe it just won't be anything. XD_**

**_I joke, I joke. I'm not going to end it now. It's too good to end now. So many unanswered questions, so many loose ends to tie up. Ahaha, it's gonna be like a gigantic ball of knots in my head. As always, reviews make me most happy, as I love reading what you have to say about my story. I love all you guys, and I'll try and update again really soon. ~Kyttin_**


	13. Face the Facts

**_A/N: I'm a tad under the weather; I can't breathe properly and I'm sick for the third time this year. Fuck. Anyways, I decided i HAD to update. I can't update every day, nor will I try, but I can shoot for every other day, and it is now the second day since my past update. So, here I am, once again._**

**_Onlyforyou-910: Ahah, don't worry too much about the spelling. I myself sometimes find it awkward, but it is what it is. _**

**_Morbid Crow: Glad you think so! As for Oliver, the conflict is kinda resolved by the end of this chapter. Not entirely, but partly. Lilly hasn't had her piece yet. ;)_**

**_Truscott: Glad you liked. Here's the next update. :)_**

**_desertstormx: Yikes, such violent words. I can't really make Oliver suffer while Lilly is injured; she's the only one who'd beat on him, and she can't while broken. The end was hot, huh? In all caps? Really? I may just have to make another chapter like that soon, then. ;)_**

**_SGM: Keep in mind she only encountered him by chance. One punch also doesn't make up for years of pain and sorrow. Yes, things seem to be lightening up. Hopefully they get better, though this story does seem to have a dark atmosphere IMHO. As for drowning for an hour, yes, it is possible. I would love to do it each and every night, but there simply isn't time. _**

**_xxDarkAngelBabyxx: Well, hopefully this is ASAP enough for you. :)_**

**_luk5: Here tis!_**

**_Wade: All I was looking for was understanding. Again, sorry for the trouble and all. I realize that yes, I am a bit of a failure when it comes to updating, but hopefully another chapter will remedy that problem._**

**_Eight reviews for this chapter. I can't recall if I got any new +favs or +watches. Sorry if I've forgotten anyone. And now, here's Chapter 13 of Never Give In._**

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Chapter 13: Face the Facts

Upon waking up to find a rainy Wednesday morning awaiting the neighborhood and surrounding community, Lilly immediately resented the idea of attending school that day. She needn't have worried; her limbs were too aggravated with her physical exertions over the past two days and she could not move without crying in pain. No vocalizations, just tears falling from her eyes. She wiped them away irritably every time. Every tiny thing caused her pain, and it was not doing her very much good being awake at four in the morning.

So it was with much relief when her mother came in at around five (after she had actually cried aloud as a spike of iron agony lanced her arm) and knocked gently on the door.

"Lilly? You awake?"

The light sniffle and whimper that Lilly could not hide only seemed to draw the woman nearer. A cool hand rested itself on the blonde's forehead.

"Let's get you another pill. If you can't go to school, you don't have to. I can call you in sick."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Lilly mumbled.

"I know you think that I turned my back on you, but I'm your mother. I could never leave you out in the cold," the woman said quietly, her voice a bit choked with emotion. Lilly heard fingers fumbling with the cap for the pill bottle. Finally, a tablet met her lips, and she accepted it gratefully, followed by the neck of a water bottle. She gulped the pill down and drank half the bottle, feeling relieved almost immediately.

"M-mom...I'm sorry..."

"Shhh. It's okay, Lilly. I'm the one who should be sorry. I haven't treated you fairly these past couple of weeks. You deserve better than that. And...I'm proud of you. I saw your grades earlier while you were napping. I showed your father and he wasn't as impressed as I was, but I felt so proud of you for proving us wrong, Lilly. You're not stupid. You never were. You're just...different."

"M-more different than you would think," Lilly responded carefully.

"Well, I hope to see more of this difference in the near future. It's a good change for you. Maybe that Miley girl is starting to rub off on you."

Lilly could tell her mother was smiling gently in the darkness. She was more than a little confused. Her mother was suddenly affectionate? Had she truly realized her wrongs? Or was it all a lie?

Could her mother really lie to her face?

The answer that Lilly had to settle for was no. Her mother could not lie to her. Ever. That was one thing her mother was incapable of doing. Not that she couldn't lie, just not to her child. It was against her moral standards. Even if Heather Truscott was sometimes a bit emotional and impulsive, she maintained a strict sense of morals and right versus wrong, and Lilly knew that lying to one's children in her mother's book was at the far end of the wrong half of the spectrum.

"I think she is, mom. She's...made me realize things about myself that I didn't know."

"Well, maybe I'll get to find out what those things are soon. For now, sleep. You need your rest, and a day off of school."

"Thanks, mom...it means a lot."

Heather gently baptized her daughter's forehead with a soft kiss of gratitude and love. "I love you, Lilly. Sleep well."

"Love you too, mom. Don't be late for work."

Heather giggled lightly as she closed the door behind her. Lilly felt incredibly warm and uncomfortable

...but was waking up that morning to a booming thunderstorm and pelting rain like bullets rattling against the windows. A loud crack across the sky nearly pitched the fearful blonde from the bed. She hated thunderstorms. Always had. They brought along feelings of hatred and agony as the clouds slammed together and punched the ground in their blinding rage, the vicious bolts lacerating anything they touched. It was like torture in the skies for Lilly. She loved the heavens and the different moods they went through, but thunderstorms were out of her reach.

The clock said it was nearly noon. Lilly sighed, then struggled to get up. She needed another pill and to relieve the pressure in her abdomen. One thing at a time. Prioritizing. Her body then maneuvered itself into the wheelchair and down the hall to the bathroom. Ahh, sweet freedom. It felt so good to use the toilet. At least, it did to Lilly. Once that was taken care of, she decided that she needed food and water and a pill to kill the pain. Food first. Pill later. Her stomach agreed with the decision as she wheeled her way to the kitchen; it growled and hurt so bad that she thought someone had tied her insides into a knot.

So much food, but nothing to eat. Save for a muffin. A muffin sounded good for that morning's breakfast, and Lilly only liked her choice of food that much more when she stuck it in the microwave to warm it. Once it dinged, it was coated with butter and jelly, and then Lilly's empty stomach devoured it mercilessly. Food. Nature's goodness.

The muffin was nothing short of a sticky mess, but to follow it up was a tall clear glass of cold, fresh milk. Lilly sighed in satisfaction, burping shortly afterward. Now for the pain pill; her arm was starting to act up. Her leg hurt, but she hadn't fallen on it the way she had with her arm. There was the mild fear that she had broken it worse than before. That couldn't be right. It would be far more damaged, right?

Only one way to be sure.

The pill slid down her throat nice and easy-like. Following that, her left hand began unwrapping the right, the armrest of the chair holding her limb steady and immobile while she undid the dressing. After the gauze fell away, she cringed at the sight.

The top of her arm had a large purple blotch right in the center, spanning across the width of her arm and linking between the joint of her wrist and the middle of her arm. It looked ugly.

The underside was worse. Every single exposed area of undertanned skin was covered in either deep purple and blue bruising or green and yellow healing tissues. Her arm felt weak and brittle when exposed to the air. The sudden chill made her realize it had been sweating. Time to try for a shower. Or perhaps a bath.

The tub filled quickly with warm water, just the temperature that Lilly liked, and she backed her chair beside the toilet, locking it. She was literally one roll away from falling into the tub. It was mildly comforting and mildly disturbing at the same time to know that she could just flop into the water and drown.

Her shirt came off. Then her bra. She spent a short moment weighing her breasts in her hands. They seemed like they were starting to lift up. Perhaps the positive attitude? The self-confidence? She noticed that her back was certainly held much straighter than before. Now her breasts were following suit?

Her nipples stiffened slightly at the change in air temperature, the moderately-sized pink areolas contracting a bit while the eraser-tip buds poked out curiously. Lilly almost laughed. It was like watching a groundhog on February second looking for his shadow. How entertaining. She chuckled even while sliding her panties down, leaving herself completely in the nude in her chair.

Now to get into the tub. She had only one way she could think of. Her left leg came out and planted. Her left arm braced against the chair.

One.

She gritted her teeth.

Two.

Her arm tensed. Her leg locked.

Three.

She shoved herself upright. Her dead leg hung limply by her side as she stood, balanced for all she had on the one stilt that was her good leg. Her right arm was tucked securely beneath her breasts, pressed as tightly and painlessly as possible against her body. Slowly, slowly, she let her good leg squat, her butt coming to rest on the edge of the tub. Now the hard part.

Using her left arm as an anchor, she lowered herself into the tub, her right hip touching the porcelain bottom first. Once her hip was situated, her other followed as she gently let her left hand off the edge of the tub and rolled into an awkward manifestation of a fetal position.

She scooted backward and lifted her legs into the tub, her good leg going first, left arm assisting the bad one. Finally, she was situated in the tub, completely submerged beneath the warm, soothing effect of the water. She let out a lengthy sigh. Time to relax and get cleaned up a bit.

Two hours later, after draining and refilling the tub simultaneously on two separate occasions, Lilly lowered herself onto the towel that rested on the seat of the wheelchair. Another towel linked into her left hand from its perch on the counter-top and she began towelling off. After every last stitch of water was freed from her body, she leaned over and popped the plug on the tub, letting the final batch of water drain out. The now-semi-wet towel draped itself over her body; even if she was home alone, she didn't like the idea of running around naked. What if a neighbor saw?

Or, what if her mother saw?

Had Lilly not been covered by the towel, this would have been exactly the case, as her mother had been striding down the hall toward the bedroom when Lilly happened to pop herself into her mother's path.

"Oh! Lilly! Goodness, you scared me a bit there. What were you doing in there?"

"Relaxing. Freshening up. A couple hours in a bathtub works wonders on one's soul."

Heather chuckled. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"Clean. I took a pill at about noon-ish, I think. After I ate a muffin. I needed food first."

"That I can agree with. Your eating patterns have been totally out of whack since this happened."

Lilly shrugged. "I guess. I never really noticed."

"Generally, you haven't been eating as much. You've also been showing up looking for food at very odd and erratic intervals of time."

"Like that one time at two in the morning last week?"

"Yes, like then. What was it you wanted?"

"A bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich."

"Ah yes, I remember. I probably shouldn't have gotten mad at you then, either."

"What's done is done."

Heather nodded. "Anything I can get you?"

"A glass of water and a body that heals faster," Lilly chuckled. Her mother laughed.

"Or how about a body that never broke?"

"Or that, yes."

Heather shook her head, laughing still, and turned back down the hallway toward the common area of the house. Lilly rolled back into her room and tossed the towel in the hamper, getting a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

She was surprised to find that she didn't believe she was unattractive for once. Granted, she had a little less curve and a little more build than other girls, but that was because she rode her skateboard everywhere and lifted weights in the local gym when she could. Of course, she hadn't done any sort of lifting of anything but her own body in the past two weeks, but she still had the muscle from before to confirm her presence with the dumbbells.

All of that was of little importance. Lilly found she could be proud of her body now that she could be proud of her brains. She wasn't the die-hard ultra-hot anorexic girl that everyone would kill to be with, but she certainly wasn't a fridge with feet. She knew people like that. Some were huge and muscular and played on the football team with Jake Ryan. Others were just obese. _Really _obese.

Once again, Lilly lifted her breasts. Were they bigger now? Her bras didn't seem any tighter, yet there was a definite size difference. Fuck. They had grown in the past two weeks. She didn't want them to get bigger. The only step up from where she currently stood was to a D, and she didn't want to touch a D when she could guess that Miley was only at the bottom end of a C.

Was Miley really that petite?

No. That much could be said. Miley was gorgeous and attracted looks from both genders, sure, but Miley was fairly well endowed. Lilly shuddered. Why was she thinking of Miley's breasts? Hell, why was she playing with her own?

No answer came for those questions. It just seemed...natural, almost. In a weird sort of way. They were dating after all. At some point, their hormones would have to kick in. Why not sooner than later?

Was the relationship to be based on sex, then?

It couldn't be. Miley didn't come off as overly sexual. Not in attitude, at least. She seemed very reserved and cautious. Then again, Lilly reasoned, it was also possible that the rape had left her in that state. Shit. Oliver, you son of a bitch.

The push-up bra had just covered the front of her body when her mother's knock sounded on the door. Lilly craned her neck to see that the woman had brought a glass of water, tall and clear. She smiled.

"Thanks, mom," Lilly said, attempting to clip her bra shut.

"You probably shouldn't be wearing one of those while you're injured. It's a lot of work to get on and off," Heather said skeptically, setting the drink on the desk.

"But...I don't want to sag..."

Heather laughed at the awkwardness of the conversation. "Trust me, a day without will not make you 'sag.' I should know."

"Mo-om!" Lilly cried, turning red. Her mother laughed again.

"You don't have to take my word for it if you don't want."

"I'll keep it in mind," Lilly mumbled, struggling to drain the red from her face. It was anything but easy.

"Well, I can't tell you what to do, so if you want to wear it, by all means."

Lilly sighed, shaking her head. "I might have to take you up on this one."

"Well, then, I'll leave you to it."

True to her word, Heather left the room, shutting the door gently behind her. Lilly sighed, dropping the bra. Instead, a night shirt replaced it. Thankfully, her crotch had been on the seat and hidden from her mother's view, though Lilly quickly remedied the problem by drawing panties up to cover it. The water moved from her desk to the bureau, and her body transferred slowly from the chair to the bed. She sighed and relaxed, sipping the water. Now what?

An idea clicked. She hadn't done it in a long while. Maybe...it wouldn't hurt?

_(time lapse)_

A knock on the door stirred Lilly from her thoughts. After a hasty shuffling, the bedroom door opened to reveal Miley, looking very concerned.

"Hey there," Lilly called gently, smiling. Miley returned the smile.

_How was your day?_

"Oh, come on. Try saying it. Please?"

Miley blinked. She furrowed her brows, stepping into the room, closing the door gently. After a clearing of her throat, she opened her mouth.

"Hhhaaoo...waass...yyooorrr...deeiii?"

"It was very good, thank you. And that was perfect, Miley!"

The brunette blushed. _Was not._

"Say it," Lilly said teasingly.

"Itt...waasss...naauut."

"Was too. I'm the one listening," she said, smiling cheerfully.

_Lilly, it sucks. My voice is all kinds of messed up. I can't speak properly and my throat always feels funny. Sometimes swallowing is difficult._

"Your mind must not like it," Lilly mused. "Like an invader. Or a virus."

_Maybe. Maybe I'm just anxious._

"About what?"

_You._

"I'm fine, Miley. Look at me."

_I am. I just missed you a lot, I guess. Are you feeling alright?_

"My arm is bothering me from yesterday and Monday, but I'm alright. I got a bath earlier."

_I can tell. Your hair looks really clean and shiny._

Lilly could feel her face getting warm. "S-stop it, it does not."

"Yesss...itt...duuuusss..."

Lilly only turned more red at hearing Miley whispering to her, right in her ear. The kiss that followed was loving, slow and delicate, but teasing and demanding as well. Lilly whimpered a bit, shuddering deeper into the kiss.

The knock at the door severed the tie. Heather gazed in mild surprise at her daughter.

"Did I...see what I think I saw?"

Miley was blushing profusely. Lilly blinked twice.

"W-well...remember this morning...when you said that there might be more changes to see?"

"Yes, I do, but I must say, Lilly, I hadn't the slightest idea that you were, er...experimenting with different lifestyle choices, per se."

Lilly sighed, hanging her head. "Sorry, mom."

"It's alright...it'll take some getting used to, but it's alright. I...actually, I'm a bit relieved."

"Say _what?_"

"I'm relieved you're with someone I can have some faith and trust in. Miley is definitely a good girl. One phone call to her father assured me of that. I'm a bit thrown that you've made an alternative lifestyle decision, but I can get used to it."

"I...I don't think I'm gay, mom. I'm...this is only with Miley."

Heather nodded in understanding. "That was kinda what I suspected. Well, ehm, I didn't come in here to interrupt, but you have a very haughty and forlorn-looking guest."

"Who?"

The door opened wider and Lilly gaped at Oliver's slouching figure behind her mother. Two sets of eyes narrowed at the boy from across the room, and Miley gently slid over Lilly to her other side, guarding her broken side. Heather slid away from the door, eyes suspicious, and left the teens to their devices.

"You." It was a statement.

"M-me," he replied shakily. He shuffled into the room and shut the door.

"Lilly...I didn't come here t-to say hi. I came to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"F-for what I did...and how I hurt you."

"Hurt _me?_ Fuck you, you fucking dick. You didn't hurt me, you hurt Miley, you jerkwad."

"I...Miley...I'm so sorry," he whispered, falling to his knees. He broke into tears. His shoulders rolled and shook and his head hung in shame. Lilly felt only a small amount of joy at his realization of his crime. Fuck him. He fucked up. No second chances for rapists.

Miley climbed back over the girl, crawling slowly toward the distraught boy. The brunette dragged him back to his feet. He looked into her eyes, and Lilly thought that Miley could see his pain. He had no clue of the pain he had caused her.

_Slap!_

Oliver stumbled backwards. Miley had smashed the palm of her hand against the side of his face, and the resounding impact of skin on skin echoed around the room ominously. Lilly was stunned. Miley, _violent?_

As quickly as she'd slapped the boy, she was embracing him. Oliver sobbed into her shoulder, lamenting endlessly "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" until he ran hoarse and fell silent. Lilly was both petrified and furious. What the fuck was going on?

"Oliver, you do realize what you did to Miley?"

"I r-raped her," he sniffed. "She w-was helpless..."

"You did more than that. You left her with a child."

He looked terrified. "Where is it?" he squeaked.

"Dead."

"Dead?"

"Aborted. Miley was far too young to deal with a child. YOUR child. Oliver, what the fuck were you thinking?"

"I...I had had an argument w-with my parents that evening, a-and I needed to get out. I knew that a girl lived in the neighborhood, s-so I just...broke in and t-took her. I d-didn't realize who it was u-until I saw her again M-Monday with you."

"It doesn't matter who it was. It doesn't matter that this girl is mine forever, Oliver. What matters is what you did."

"Y-yours forever?"

"Us making out was no accident, Oliver. My mother walking in was."

"You're...d-dating?"

"Effectively. Once I heal, I plan to take this girl out on the best possible date I can, but that's irrelevant. You need to realize what you did. You need to know how it felt for Miley to conceive, to abort, to lose a child, even if by personal choice. Fuck, Oliver, that's white trash that does that to people."

"I-I know..."

"Do you really? Do you know what it feels like to lose a child?"

"N-no."

"Exactly. You didn't hurt me in the grand scheme. You hurt Miley. Hurt her far more than you understand. Far fucking more than you can ever fucking realize. Jesus, Oliver, a child is the greatest blessing a person can have, and you forced Miley to take her own out of existence."

"I...fuck..."

He turned to leave, but Miley laid a hand on his shoulder.

"She doesn't want you to leave. Not yet."

"Why not?"

Miley shook her head, jerking her hand and flexing her fingers.

"She hates you, but...I think she wants to form some sort of truce."

Miley nodded. Lilly scoffed.

"I don't think you deserve it. Miley thinks you should do it for my sake, since we used to be close. I just don't know anymore, Oliver. How the fuck can I come back and trust you with shit like this?"

"I...I don't know."

Miley held out her hand. "Trreeeuuuusss?"

Oliver held out his hand, locking it with Miley's. "T-truce. M-Miley...I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay," the brunette whispered, drawing him into another embrace. Lilly sighed and closed her eyes. Thank God for the power of reasoning and agreement, because were it not for Miley maintaining a cool head, Lilly probably would have ripped his head off.

* * *

**_If I can't get Miley to talk fairly well fairly soon, this story will all fall apart and take too long to develop. Hopefully I can implement the last few twists around Chapter 20 or so; there should be enough time for Miley to start talking. I dunno about getting into what I call "true" Liley, where they have sex and it's unprotected and yaddah yaddah yah, but I dunno. Depends on what you guys want. I can make it censored and pure, or I can make it uncensored and steamy and sexy and enough for you to get horny and masturbate to. XD_**

**_As for how I can do that, let's just say Literotica is a very good site for developing sexual prowess on paper as well as in physique. ;) Read and review, and I love all you guys. ~Kyttin_**


	14. Take Me

**_A/N: I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner, guys. I just didn't have any inspiration. On that note, THIS IS A MATURE CONTENT CHAPTER. It doesn't contain questionable acts, just "mutual masturbation". Nothing serious, I guess...but I could have written it better, for sure._**

**_desertstormx: Yeah, well...life's a bitch. I've watched my own friend do something similar and nothing ever happened to him. Little piece of shit...and he claims to be my friend after all he's done. Trust me, this is part of the plot. You need to loathe Ollie now in order to understand his character later in the story. As for far...I haven't gone all that far yet._**

**_ilovenick: Hopefully this one is a healthy mix, then. It's not...disrespectful, per se...just...pornographic. The difference? The characters are at my mercy, in theory. Hopefully THIS Miley is a bit more like what we'd expect. Keep in mind, though: she has a totally different life. It's an AU story. Which basically gives me permission to do whatever the hell I feel like, so long as there's context._**

**_SabotageMonkey: ...Just read the chapter. That's all I can say. :)_**

**_Morbid Crow: With Lilly's mother, you have to understand that a mother NEEDS to be there for her daughter. A father can cut himself out of the picture rather heartlessly, from my experience. The mother, on the other hand, cannot. There is an emotional tie there, just like there is between a father and his eldest son. That's just kinda the way it works. At least, in my family it is. Now, the sex...this is just a teaser. Read it and say what you will, but I promise you it is ONLY a teaser. :3_**

**_SGM: She would have suspected. Moms aren't oblivious. My own mom knows when something's up between myself and my girlfriend when I have a bad attitude. She says it's something about my presence, something about the vibe I put out that lets her know. There is a good way to resolve the Oliver thing, but it means more pain on my characters. I love Miley and Lilly like they're my own children (because, as an author, they are, in a way), but I have to move the story along until it reaches conclusion. I will thus try and keep it as uncensored as possible, as I am a raging bag of hormones and I'm usually dubbed a "horny little spitfuck", so it's good to vent my feelings and frustrations and such on paper. And no, your reviews are never too long. I read every word of them and love every comment everyone has to say, no matter how good or bad or ugly._**

**_xxDarkAngelBabyxx: ...Just read the chapter. You'll have your fair share, trust me. And this is only a teaser. Muahahahaha!_**

**_Thanks to SabotageMonkey for the +favs and to SabotageMonkey, InvisibleNinja, and SamiLeigh2012 for the +watchies. Just you three managed to respark my creative fire, even if temporarily. I definitely want to finish writing this one, and I definitely want to finish The Angel Of Death as well. _**

**_This chapter is dedicated to Truscott, as she sent me a beautiful reply for the review I posted on the story she is co-writing with littleclip. Not to mean any disrespect on the grammar and spelling, as it sometimes gets a little confusing and muddy, but the story itself is utterly amazing, and it's currently 53 chapters strong. Keep it up, T! This one's for you!_**

**_And now, without further ado or word, Chapter 14 of Never Give In.  
_**

* * *

Chapter 14: Take Me

"Why do you want a truce with him after what he did to you, Miley?"

The brunette shrugged. "N-not...bad...person."

"Miley, we can't be sure of that. He could be just as evil as the next person."

"Your...friend."

"I don't care if he's my friend. He lost that. He doesn't deserve your truce."

Miley sighed. _So I'm just supposed to give him the cold shoulder?_

"Well, yeah! Look what he did! He didn't even bother to understand what was going on until we told him!

"He knew," Miley said quietly. Lilly was impressed that her companion had managed to string words together just in one evening, let alone that she was now talking in 'broken' English.

"What?"

"He knew...when...saw me...other day."

"He recognized you?"

Miley nodded. Lilly sighed, slumping in her chair. "Miley...he recognized you. That doesn't mean he felt guilt. He's a better actor than you think he is. All that in my room yesterday...that could have just been a ploy."

"He's not...not bad person."

Lilly blinked, looking at Miley relatively calmly given that her blood boiled at the thought of him defiling her girlfriend. The only thing keeping her from losing her mind was the heartfelt, agonizing sadness that shone from the hazy gray eyes.

"Miley...I know you want to forgive him. And you can. You can forgive him all you want. Me...I can't. He lost my trust. He lost my friendship. He's a stranger. If he has the gall to go and do something like that, something so juvenile and messed up and just flat-out wrong...I obviously don't know him as well as I had believed."

"Would...be same...if...didn't love me?"

Lilly paused. "What do you mean?"

"W-would you f-feel the same if you d-didn't love me?" she strained. The very fine sheet of sweat over Miley's upper lip was testament to the effort she was putting into speaking; her voice was rough and imperfect and little more than a squeaky, rusted whisper, but it was speech no less.

"I think I would, Miley. It doesn't matter to me who the person is. It doesn't matter what color skin, what color hair, eyes, what gender, religion, none of that. It doesn't even matter if I think they deserved it or not. Someone who takes advantage of someone else in the most vulgar way possible...they're scum."

Miley held her head in her hands, perching on the edge of the concrete bench. Lilly somehow managed to keep her voice down; the students around the quad could overhear the conversation if they were too upfront about it.

"I don't want to hate him," the brunette mumbled. Lilly reached out and touched the girl's arm.

"You don't have to. You can feel what you like. I...I just can't bring myself to do the same. He managed to lose my trust and respect in one move. Like a chessgame. Checkmate."

Miley looked up, compassion in her eyes, the irises the color of the freshly-mown grass near Lilly's chair. "I love you, Lilly," she whispered.

Lilly couldn't help but smile. "I love you too, baby."

They had agreed to refrain from kissing, but Lilly wanted one so badly her lips ached, and she could see the same desire in Miley's eyes, though she knew not who was the more passionate of the two. They had yet to progress that far; it was nothing but small kisses, love-filled moments of mutual attention and connection, that never seemed to last long enough. Oh, how Lilly longed for it. Even as she sat, broken, within the restrictive confines of her wheelchair, unable to show her affection for Miley other than through her eyes, she could feel a lust that smoldered gently between her legs. It was nearly unbearable. More unbearable than the arm and leg combined, which had kept Lilly up for half the night. She had decided to at least show up at the school, though she had no intention of staying; her mother had told her to take the day off once again to rest. She merely wanted to see Miley off to class, and hadn't bothered changing from her night clothes, flannel and soft and warm and cozy just the way Lilly liked. Just like Miley.

"Miley...I want..."

The brunette nodded. "Me too," she muttered. "But not here. After school."

Lilly sighed dejectedly. "I don't know if I can wait that long."

"Go home," Miley suggested. "Sleep. Rest. Relax."

"I know, I know...I'm really tired after last night, too."

"Go sleep. I'll...see you after."

Lilly nodded. "And you should rest your voice. You've talked a lot more in the past day than you have since the accident."

Miley smiled. "I have to start...somewhere, right?"

"But if you overdo it, you could hurt yourself."

"True."

Lilly laughed. "Go learn something, Miley. I'm gonna go get some rest."

Lilly watched her door open slowly. The clock on the nightstand read seven past three in the afternoon, though that was irrelevant. What was definitely relevant was the brunette beauty walking through her bedroom door, shutting it gently behind her. Lilly could see the emerald green irises smoldering even from ten feet away, the fire roaring a dark blasphemous chartreuse. The look Lilly got from Miley was not one of simple love. It was one of passion. One of hatred. One of lust. One that both scared Lilly and excited her nether regions so terribly she thought she'd lost her bladder.

"What's that look for, Miley?"

"You've been on my mind all day," the brunette croaked, dropping her bag to the floor. Lilly gulped; Miley blinked.

"Y-you can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious," she growled. Her shoes came off. So did her jacket. Beneath was a halter top, painted blood, and the fact that the halter had a built-in bra did nothing to conceal Miley's obvious arousal. Lilly stared.

"See them?" Miley asked. "Been like that since this morning. It wasn't cold today, Lilly."

Another gulp. Another blink. Miley then stepped slowly toward the bed, reaching for Lilly's crippled form.

"What...what can I do?"

Miley licked her lips, slowly, fully, and it only aroused Lilly more. She caught a whiff of Miley's scent, but it was not the normal cinnamon-like smell she was so used to. No, the cinnamon was strengthened and sharper, as though it had fruit or salt imbued into it. It was intoxicating. Lilly believed for an instant that she could get high off the smell if the arousal didn't kill her first. She could feel the material of her shirt dragging over her own nipples as they hardened from the hormones. She knew what she wanted, but perhaps Miley didn't want the same.

"You did this to me, Lilly," she growled. Her vocal cords were actually vibrating and producing the sweet, sultry sounds of Miley's voice, but the sexual tension and desire gripping her words, dripping from them and oozing from her pores, washed into Lilly and made her want Miley's body even more.

"How do I fix it?"

Miley grinned wickedly, grabbing Lilly's wrist gently. Her other hand curled Lilly's fingers over so that only the middle two stuck out, then pulled the hand toward her jeans. Lilly understood then that Miley wanted the same thing Lilly wanted.

Relief.

"Are you sure about this, Miley? You and I are both recovering, you know."

"Don't talk me out of it, Lilly. It only makes it harder to control myself."

"But...you're standing up. Shouldn't you at least lay down or something?"

"How will I get myself undressed laying down if you can't help?"

"Um..."

Miley glared at Lilly, not one of anger or loathing, but one of plea and suffering. "Lilly...help me."

The blonde immediately undid the button and zipper on her lover's jeans. They plummeted to their ankles and Miley stepped from them, never breaking gaze with Lilly. Lilly gasped.

"Miley...you're so soaked."

Lilly could see straight through the panties Miley had chosen to wear. The sight that met her was heavenly and erotic and naughty. Lilly never imagined she'd find the day where she'd see Miley naked. Then again, she'd never expected to be dating the girl, either.

"Are you sure this isn't moving too fast?"

"We're both horny. I have no patience whatsoever, Lilly," Miley said, her voice gravelly and husky and that much more erotic to Lilly's ears.

"At least lay down," Lilly said, scooting to her right. Miley slid under the covers and pressed herself to Lilly's left side. Lilly felt the heat exuding from Miley's crotch as it struck her leg. One poking nipple nudged at her tricep. She gulped, looking Miley deep in the eyes.

Nothing but passion, love, and a never-before-seen lust. Lilly wished Miley would look at her that way all the time; it made her heart melt, her knees limp, her clit ache. Fuck, Miley was so damn good-looking and sexy.

She had no thought. No impulse. Nothing to guide her. And yet, her left hand met Miley's cheek and dragged the girls together for a blazing kiss that had the heat of a bonfire but the gentleness of a newborn kitten. Fuck, it felt so good. Lilly realized she was dripping. She wished she could lay on either one of her sides; she needed to get closer to Miley, but couldn't.

As if reading her thoughts, the brunette suddenly straddled Lilly's body and pulled the shirt off. Lilly's eyes widened. Miley was tanned, head-to-toe, and she was definitely larger than a B. Tanned, perky breasts, with tanned, perky nipples, hanging there on Miley's body, looking perfectly molded and formed and placed. Lilly had to feel them. She had no other goal at that moment but to know what Miley felt like and how she reacted.

Miley seemed to have similar thoughts, for when Lilly laid her hand gently on Miley's pert breast, the brunette arched her back and pushed it against the blonde's palm. Lilly could feel the nipple stabbing her like a small rock. It was ungodly how perfect they were. She longed to not be broken any longer, for she needed to feel Miley as a woman, needed to make love to this gorgeous girl straddling her broken body. Fuck, what she needed more than anything was to feel Miley against her, moving with her, grinding and sucking and biting and pulling and moaning and screaming together. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Miley pushed her face against Lilly's, teasing the blonde's bottom lip between her teeth. Lilly thought it was the most unusually kinky and sensual thing she'd ever had happen to her, second to being able to hold Miley in her arms, almost completely naked, and say that they were together and loved each other.

The blonde's shirt came off and landed on the floor. Lilly suddenly felt very exposed.

"Oh, my God, Lilly..."

"What's wrong, Miley?"

"You're...absolutely gorgeous."

"Look who's talking," Lilly replied. Miley licked her lips.

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close them up, Lilly. Keep them closed."

Lilly complied, unsure what to expect. That is, until she felt a very warm mouth suckling on her teat. Fuck, holy fuck, that soaked her panties even more. What the hell was Miley doing to her?

A hand began groping the other breast, while the mouth suctioned Lilly's nipple desperately. Lilly couldn't hold back the light gasp of pleasure that escaped her lips. She'd never felt this good before. Fuck, Miley sure knew what she was doing.

The mouth and hand switched places. The gentle teasing of Miley's teeth only brought Lilly closer to a feeling she'd never had. She could feel herself beginning to squirm. She wanted Miley to hurry up and get rid of the torturously pleasurable feeling she was having. Fuck, she needed release.

"Lilly...help me."

No need to say anything twice. Lilly reached out and grabbed at the front of Miley's panties, yanking on them hard. The stitching gave out and ripped the garment away from Miley's body. Lilly knew what came next. She curled her hand exactly the same as Miley had before, lifting it closer, closer, closer

Miley ripped Lilly's soaked panties off her body much the same way Lilly had done to her. Lilly felt a finger and thumb flick at her clit. She nearly lost it. She was so close, so ready, primed and pumped and desperate.

"Miley, please, don't tease me..." Lilly begged.

"Then don't tease me, Lilly," the brunette returned harshly. Without warning, Lilly felt a body drop onto her fingers, the digits plunging into a wet wonderland. It was very warm and soaking wet inside Miley's body, like her fingers had gone into the girl's bladder instead of her vagina. It felt so strange and so comforting at the same time. Lilly flicked her fingers and pushed against the small, round, pea-like nub that was Miley's clit, and the resounding gasp and cross-eyed expression on Miley's face was all she needed.

"FUCK!" the brunette screamed. She bucked against Lilly's hand, but the girl's fingers had slid out, and she ground her clit against knuckle instead of thumb. The result was the same: Miley screamed and shook and Lilly felt a torrent of warm liquid cascade against her stomach and down into the sheet beneath her. Miley's back was arched so far that the covers had slid off their bodies, and Lilly, in the heat of the moment, realized that Miley was not using her as a toilet, but was mid-orgasm. The brunette was arched so far backward Lilly feared a broken back, only compounded by the shaking and vibrating of the girl as she rode out the waves of pleasure. Lilly watched, feeling her own clit throbbing, her pulse pounding through her veins. She wanted to feel that way, but if she moved, Miley would be thrashing wildly against her leg, and that would not end well.

Finally, after another moment and several more tremors of the girl's body, she leaned back forward, hunched just slightly, looking at Lilly intensely.

"Your turn," the voice whispered.

Lilly felt the fingers enter her, felt the thumb slam against her clit, felt herself buck into the force, but the one thing she felt above everything else was a deafening, blackening wave of pain, pleasure, ecstasy, and agony all at once. She felt her insides contract, her pussy crushing Miley's fingers, felt her body spray hot gushing cum all over the other girl's hand, and remembered only the intense, heated passion in Miley's own eyes as her brain forced her body into a dark, deep stupor.

* * *

**_That has got to be the worst chapter I've ever written, guys. I'm so sorry for its bluntness and sudden appearance. I promise, the next sex scene I make will be more soft and gentle and methodic and...well, let's just say I hope you'll all be cumming in your shorts from reading it. This one is just a teaser, just a preview of what I can write about sex; I can get VERY racy and sexy and passionate about it if I need to. As always, I love you guys and all you have to say. Keep reading, keep writing, and keep loving the life you live. ~Kyttin_**


	15. Break Me, Shake Me

_**A/N: I'm sad to say that I have no excuse as to why I failed to update, other than that I had absolutely ZERO inspiration and ZERO patience to follow through and update this story. This chapter is very stark, very short, and very sappy, and I'm so sorry to everyone who hoped for more, just as I myself did. My computer also hasn't been feeling very well lately, and it's been slowing down on me constantly...Time to shut it down for a night, finally, I guess.**_

_**GTM: This isn't exactly "hot", per se, but it's kinda sappy nonetheless. Even for me, a GUY, this is BAD. :S**_

_**Morbid Crow: I'm the nark that begs to differ about how well written this chapter may or may not be...but you're right about unchained passion. **_

_**LALALAND: ...Well...glad to see you enjoyed it?**_

_**Truscott: Hey, you're ALLOWED to make mistakes here. This is , not an ENGLISH CLASS. Don't worry about the mistakes, I can read around every one of them. As long as I get the gist, I'm happy. Miley's voice is more...pronounced, but she's still got a long way to go. I had to start writing her voice back in, but she'll reach a sort of rock in her way at some point or another. **_

_**desertstormx: That wasn't my worst chapter. THIS is my worst chapter. Sexiness will have to wait a bit, I'm afraid; I can do nothing between them until after...well...read the chapter. ;)**_

_**DisneyFanGirl27: (regarding Chapter 4) I'm very surprised that someone with that sort of name would be reading a story rated M, but alright, it's cool. You totally get where Lilly's coming from, though, and that's a positive in some respects. The anguish associated with it...not so much.**_

_**OnlyForYou910: Glad you liked! I'll try and get something more raunchy and sexy up soon. How soon? Dunno.**_

_**SGM: While everything has to start somewhere, I'm disappointed in myself with this one. It just barely clears 2000 words. As for where it leads...every happy must have an equal sad to follow or precede...**_

_**Bro Ho: Right...I have a bit of a bone to pick with you, sir. I'll try to address all of your complaints in order, so please bear with me if they get a bit long-winded or repetitive. Replying to authors in the beginning is just something I do. Look at how many different replies I post here. Imagine that all in message format. Could you just imagine the sheer amount of TIME it would take me to send out that many messages and replies? I don't have enough hours in the day to do that. It's much more convenient and practical to reply RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW while I'm thinking about it. If you don't like the notes, DON'T READ THEM! You can always push the "Control" key and the "F" key and type in the word "Chapter" followed by the number, and it'll take you RIGHT TO THE STORY! Amazing, the power of today's technology, isn't it? Moving on to Truscott and Headstrong. Dude, you have ABSOLUTELY ZERO RIGHT to criticize her work on MY story. Focus on the story you are REVIEWING, not the story you are READING. In light of what you've said about her work, I do seem to recall that you claimed her work to "go in circles" and is a "complete waste of time", to quote you exactly from my review response. Tell me something: Did I, anywhere, in my story or in the chapter preface, EVER tell anyone that they HAD to go read her story? The simple answer is NO! You don't like it, DON'T READ IT! I read it because it had fifty-three chapters. FIFTY-THREE! That's like a fucking migraine headache and a colonoscopy balled into one nutshell. It's not easy for me to write more than fifteen chapters on a given story, let alone fifty-three. THAT ALONE is an accomplishment, regardless of content. Immediately following that, you question my taste in stories and fanfics. Let me break this down for you, then, since I'm a math and numbers kind of guy: Ninety percent of fanfiction is CRAP. It's all irrelevant or twisted and has absolutely no purpose on the site other than to take up space. It's what I call a "stepping stone", a "starting line" for writers to experiment and get better later. Five percent remaining is good work that needs polishing. Her work needs polishing. MY OWN WORK needs polishing. I totally could have done without this chapter, to be honest, but it set up another complication that I need to defer to later. The remaining five percent on the chart (And yes, that's exactly 100 percent) are masterpieces. They are prime condition, have a consistent theme, plot, characters, setting, everything all lined up and printed perfectly. One such example is The Other Side Of Tomorrow, a Jimmy Neutron fanfic which my sister got me into. AntiqueDreams is an amazing writer and is producing a masterpiece which seems to be far from finished as it is in its current state. I have nothing bad to say about it other than the forecasted ending she has placed on it is far too premature to straighten out everything that's taken place in the context of the story-line. If you want GOOD WRITING, something that doesn't "go in circles" or "waste time", read that. And finally, we come to your critique of my writing style. Yes, I am aware that I enjoy details. That's what makes a great story. The devil is ALWAYS in the details. There are some words in some of my chapters that are EXACTLY placed and have a certain connotation that can be read two different ways. Find them. That's part of the details that I write. I agree, I need to lessen my derivations and side-tracked thoughts, but if you don't pay attention, you miss everything. Trust me. That's how a good writer works. Unrealistic dialogue...I had believed I was keeping it reasonably in-tact and well-played, considering this is supposed to be more like high-school with a dark twist, not like fucking Degrassi. I don't "break" rules, I bend them to fit my needs. I also try and make sure that the way I write, punctuate, and spell is exactly perfect every single time so that I have no need to return to the essay or story and review it for errors or changes in need of being made. Now that I have finally addressed and replied to each and every little point you've made regarding my story and others, I hope you get this message, read it, and realize that YES, I WAS ATTACKING YOU. Good day. :)**_

_**tiny dots: (regarding Chapter 2) Yes, this is a Liley story. Chapter 14 explores more of that fact, should you wish to read ahead. (regarding Chapter 3) Yeah, well, everyone has to face some form of hardship...some more than others. I've been lucky thusfar...but that could change in an instant. (regarding Chapter 4) Good to see you understand. I'm sorry if it stirs up the water that contains bad memories, or whatever the case. (regarding Chapter 5) "The first step in getting over your problem is to admit that you have one." (regarding Chapter 7) Haha, don't worry. Reviews are my bestest best friends, besides my actual friends, of course. (regarding Chapter 11) It's simple: VERY SLOWLY. (regarding Chapter 14) Um...well...perhaps you should go fix that, then? We don't want you to be left unsatisfied, do we? XD**_

_**After sifting through my long, long, long, long, full, LONG list of emails in my FULL inbox, I would like to thank Truscott, ChocolateYuriObssesser, CryptoSporidian, crazy4cyrus, HallwayKid, CloudGazer15, and JustJenna322 for the +watchies, and rosabella5903, HallwayKid, and tiny dots for the +favies! Again, I'm sorry to all my readers for not having updated sooner, but I was completely drained of inspiration and motivation, and I might not update for another week or two, despite what I NEED to do and update tomorrow...Sorry for the delay, and hopefully you guys can hang in there while I refocus a bit; I just broke up with my girlfriend Sunday afternoon and I'm still kinda not used to the idea of being able to look at other girls without being scolded. XDDD  
**_

_**Joking aside, I now present to you...Never Give In.  
**_

* * *

Chapter 15: Break Me, Shake Me (Hate Me, Take Me Over)

"Miley...what the hell happened?"

Lilly gaped, terrified, at the naked brunette who lay beside her in the bed. The sheets were semi-crusted, their bodies slightly intertwined. Miley shrugged, looking peaceful and relaxed.

"Isn't that what you wanted, Lilly?"

"Miley...I don't even know you as much as I'd like to and we already basically had sex. What...what does that say?"

Miley blinked. "It says that we may not need that kind of connection, Lilly."

"What?"

"You and I both seem to have wanted it. We seem to enjoy each others' company. I don't know about you, but I don't need to know that much about who you are or where you come from. We knew each other in grade school. We know each other now. There's...nothing to stop me. I don't want this to end. I don't want it to go away. I just want to be with you."

"But shouldn't we get to know each other first?"

"We'll have forever to do that, Lilly. Let's enjoy what we will and do what we want. I mean...there's always tomorrow, and the next day, right?"

"But...what if one of us decides that it's not working? What then?"

"Then it doesn't work," Miley replied simply, shrugging again.

"How can you be so calm about all of this?" Lilly asked quietly. She had heard Miley's voice growing weaker and weaker as she strained it to talk more and more, but she had so many questions that she needed answered.

"Because it is what it is. What happens, happens. That's all there is to it."

"Even with your exposure to rape?" Lilly ventured gently.

Miley's entire demeanor changed. Her expression darkened, limbs grew cold. "I...yes, that happened. It is what it is...there's no way around it."

"Miley..."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Lilly opened her mouth, paused, and closed it again. "Alright. Are we ever going to talk about it?"

Miley closed her eyes. "Fine. You want to know. I get it. Let's see-"

"No, I want you to tell me when you're ready."

"And I never will be."

"Then I'll never know."

"Not if you try to stop me from telling you!"

Lilly felt her anger flare, and she reacted by pulling Miley into a rough, sloppy kiss, their lips gently suckling at each other. Miley backed up, splitting the moment.

"I don't care if I never find out. Would I like to know? Yes. Does it really matter? No. You matter. Only you."

"But you want to know-"

"And it's not my liberty to know. I only desire to know. I don't have a life dependency on it. Miley, you're obviously uncomfortable with the subject, so we'll drop it."

"But-"

Another kiss, this one slower, softer, more passionate. Lilly could feel her heart begin to pound, the heat in her crotch growing by several degrees. God, Miley always had some sort of adverse effect on her. She was falling for this girl. Hard.

"Lilly, are you going to let me explain?" Miley mumbled helplessly. The blonde shook her head.

"You're obviously not ready and running out of voice. Save it for when you want to tell me. When the time is right, you'll know."

"You sound so mystic."

"I do not."

Miley laughed, her voice cracking and fading a bit. Lilly sighed.

"We've gotta get you used to using your voicebox again. It's like your brain disconnected it."

Miley nodded. "It's hard, Lilly. It's like...I feel it there, but it sometimes disappears," she whispered.

Lilly put a finger to her lover's lips, blinking slowly. "Relax, Miley. No more speaking. Just feeling. Nothing but us.

"Nothing but us."

Nothing had changed between the girls. School was still school, a normal, boring affair that suffocated them and separated them for six long arduous hours. Somehow, they made it, Lilly in her wheelchair, Miley in utter silence. Nobody could understand what had happened to them, even after Lilly had explained the story in stunning clarity, honest and true down to the last little detail. It all seemed so surreal to them.

Amber, of course, hadn't changed. She believed that Lilly was entirely at fault for what had happened, and continued to blame the blonde because the star female athlete was unable to play with the head trauma still looming over her. The dark-skinned girl took every opportunity she could to pin some sort of fault or flaw on Lilly's head.

It was hard to play off. Finally, after three weeks of being able to call Miley her girlfriend in private, and after two solid weeks of non-stop badgering and pestering, the blonde finally reached her breaking point. She snapped.

Lilly had been resting in her chair at a table during lunch, a tray of cafeteria food sitting in front of her, the contents all smushed together into what she called gruel. Miley had been sitting across from her, leaving her food groups separate and eating with a fair bit more delicacy and awareness of her location. As they sat eating their food in their vastly different manners, Amber walked past, behind Lilly's wheelchair. Lilly knew nothing other than she felt a bump and then ended up with food all over her head and shirt. The blonde gasped, nearly choking on her mouthful, and swallowed hastily, looking up at Miley in disbelief. The brunette looked equally as shocked. Lilly then looked to the dark-skinned girl, who had a grin of triumph on her face.

"What the hell, Amber?"

"Look what you did, you retard! You just had to back into me and knock my food over, didn't you? You couldn't even have said 'excuse me' or 'I'm leaving' or something, could you? Nooo, you had to just stick yourself out there right into me. Well, excuse me for trying to find a place to sit! Try not to be so stupid next time, would ya?"

Lilly at first did nothing. She was shocked that Amber would stoop so low. She tried to fight with her instincts, tried to reason herself out of it, but she was furious. Her hair, her face, her outfit was all covered in slop and mush and whatever else had been on the tray, and Amber was blaming her for it. It only took half a second for her mind to short-circuit. It took another for her to stand, all her weight on her left leg, her right acting more as a kickstand than assistance. Without thought, she swung her left arm around in a lopsided arc and smashed the back of her wrist against Amber's nose.

Black hair flew wildly about as Amber hit the floor, stunned. She blinked, sniffing loudly. Lilly let her arm finish its arc and then dropped it to her side, fist still clenched. Amber sniffed, then without warning whipped her leg around. Miley cried out to Lilly's right, but she heard nothing.

Pain.

Millions of porcupine quills lacerated her thrashed thighbone, breaking open blood vessels and shredding scabs that had begun to form, the scar tissues tearing and separating, screaming in protest and agony. Lilly lost all sense of coordination and balance, and fell to her right, into the table, her hip smacking against the plastic structure, compounding the injuries and damaging more destroyed tissues. She could feel her balance failing, and tried to catch herself, but her right arm was the only thing that could save her, were it in an unbroken state. This was not the case.

Agony.

Her arm split in half once again, but ripped more bone apart and compounded, puncturing through the skin as her torso compressed onto it. Blood ran down her arm like a river as she dropped to her back on the floor, the wind puffing out of her lungs like she'd been crushed. Her mangled arm smacked the floor beside her, and the other bone compounded on the other side of her arm, spraying the tile floor with more crimson life that died as quickly as it had been released. Lilly blinked, her vision blurry. The pain was beginning to fade. Everything was becoming brighter. Was this it?

The white light overtook her, and thusly proceeded to dump her into a sea of roiling black waves.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"I'm gonna kill that bitch!"

Lilly sat bolt-upright, looking around the cafeteria for Amber's black head of hair and darkened skin. Wait...she wasn't in the cafeteria. She was in a room that looked strikingly, horribly familiar.

A hospital bed. In a clean, white room with stainless steel appliances.

The blinds had been drawn, but Lilly could tell it was night. She blinked and fell back into the pillows, sighing as she released her emotions from her body. It felt so good to have the comfort of pillows around her.

"Jesus, Lilly. You scared me so bad I almost peed myself," a quiet, feminine voice said. Lilly opened her eyes again and caught sight of a dark figure at the foot of her bed. The long, brown, curling locks, that voice, the curves, they could only be Miley. Lilly smiled.

"Hey there, love."

Miley moved closer, smiling sadly. "Hey. How do you feel?"

"Like shit. How's the black bitch?"

Miley cringed just a tad. "She's...not looking so hot anymore. You kinda popped her nose bone back into her skull a bit, Lilly."

"Good. That'll teach her to be such a prick."

"And maybe your compound reconstructive surgery will tell you to relax and think things through a bit," Miley reprimanded quietly. Lilly let her brows furrow in thought.

"Compound reconstructive...wait, what?"

"When you fell, after Amber re-tore your leg muscles, your hand went out to catch you. It grabbed the table. Your weight then fell on it, and it broke again under the pressure. The bones tore through the skin, and the paramedics had to put you into an immediate surgery slot to keep you from losing too much blood. Now your arm has two rods and eight screws in it. Your leg was also opened up at the same time. Now there's a sort of rubber band wrapped around the muscles so that they heal correctly, since the damage was far too great for your body to fix on its own. You can't move for a while, love."

Lilly gaped. "You're kidding. Tell me you're playing some kind of joke on me."

"It's not April Fool's day, hon. I'm sorry, but this is what happened."

Lilly fell back into the pillows and let the tears come. The anguish, the pain, the teasing and torture, it was all too much. She felt a reassuring squeeze on her left hand, but it did nothing for her. She hated every second she was alive, because every second she had to exist meant one more second of coming to terms with damage she hadn't caused herself.

"Miley, I'm falling apart. I can't do this anymore."

"Hush, love, yes you can. I'm trying to do it, every day, for you."

"For me?"

"How happy would you be if I learned how to speak again, properly, one-hundred-percent?"

"I'd be overjoyed."

"That's why I'm doing it. I want you to be happy."

"Then...I'll keep fighting, Miley...f-for you."

The brunette smiled, and Lilly only barely caught sight of it through her curtain of tears. "Don't do it all for me, Lilly. You've gotta keep at it for yourself, too."

"No, Miley...I can't just do it for me. I'd give up now if it were just for me. It's for you, Miley...I love you."

The brunette closed her eyes and hung her head. Lilly blinked, more tears slithering down her face. "What's wrong, love?"

"I just...I wish I could be as good to you as you are to me."

"Miley, you're the reason I get up every morning. You're the sunshine after my rain. You're the cure against my fear and my pain. I lose my mind when you aren't around, Miley. It's all because of you."

"I can't let you say those things, Lilly," Miley whispered.

"Why not?" Lilly returned.

"Because the more you say, the more I fall in love with you."

Lilly had never felt her heart beat and soar as it did during the draught of love she gleaned from the kiss that followed between her soul and Miley's.

* * *

**_I didn't WANT to hurt Lilly again, but it was Amber Addison, and I had no alternative. Bad things happen when you get a girl like that as your enemy, especially when you're kissing and loving her star player. Best of luck to the recovering Liley duo, and I'm holding onto a belief that they'll recover and _**


	16. Pathetic

**_A/N: This is a really shitty chapter for me to post after having been gone for over a month...I'm sorry guys, but shit hit the fan and I'm right in the middle of testing and standards. Inspiration got stuffed in the closet for sake of sanity. Shitty argument and defense aside, this is a short chapter just to hold you guys over until I write the next one. The next one is more intense...Warning on Chapter 17 (next chapter), there will be mature content and themes. Worse than anything I've done thusfar._**

**_CloudGazer15: Hopefully you were able to wait...but here it is._**

**_Bro Ho: Review if you like, but just know that I honestly don't give a fuck what you have to say any more. Yes, I commented on Headstrong; no, it was not part of my story. Do not bring up works by other authors when reviewing my stories; this is both bad etiquette and bad writing strategies. You've now disregarded yourself as a credible review source in my eyes for your lack of tact. Good day._**

**_LALALAND: Glad! Here's another!_**

**_Backoff2069: It wasn't supposed to, but I guess the editor failed. -.-"_**

**_desertstormx: Yeah, I realize that my style is mine, but others seem to fail to realize that and can't praise it due to their jealousy. As it turns out in the end, I DO take too long to update...hopefully this story won't be put on hold for life for too much longer._**

**_DisneyFanGirl27: Jake is brought into this chapter, funny enough. Oliver will come back. Robbie Ray will come back. Even Amber will come back. Everything's going to be tied together (a bit) in the next chapter._**

**_SGM: The guy wrote back. As you can see above, my response is brief and harsh and rather impatient and arrogant. Yes, I've had it with him. No, I don't care. My attitude has now changed for everyone: If you don't like my shit, don't bother to stop and sniff it._**

**_Morbid Crow: Yeah, well...at her expense, no less._**

**_Thanks to Drugon, strawberrydarhling, and Kiwi . and . Lemons for the +watchies, and thanks to desertstormx, DMW1991, Battlestar Arcadia, and Marcus S. Lazarus for the +favies. I hope everyone here can hang on for a little longer while I complete this next week or two of intense mental fatigue, and I'll make next chapter much more interesting and productive; this one was mostly filler and empty data.  
_**

* * *

Chapter 16: Pathetic

Three months passed. It was the first day in June. Lilly gazed out the classroom window with hopeful eyes, glad for the first time that her Geometry teacher had seated her where she had. The air was brightening and the school was very obviously ready for summer.

Her arm had healed. The rods had been removed and her arm had sealed properly with one hairline scar down the underside. Her leg was still under reconstruction, and she was due for another physical therapy session the next day, a Thursday.

None of this mattered much to Lilly. She had nothing on her mind save for one thing: the previous evening.

Her parents had been out to dinner, and Miley had been over to cook for her. Her brother was doing homework or playing video games with a friend, she couldn't remember which. Normally, she would have known. However, after her sixth orgasm in a row, she had forgotten about everything except the profound buzz echoing throughout her body and the sight of her beautiful girlfriend licking away the last vestiges of her love juices. Lilly had slept so soundly she'd not heard the alarm that morning and was very nearly late in getting to school.

Her mind then refocused to that evening, where her father was working late and her mother would be escorting her brother to some sort of seminar that he'd been talking about for the past month. She intended to give Miley what the brunette had given her: the most memorable and pleasurable night of her life.

The bell rang. Lilly came to her senses and stood, grasping for her crutches. Miley was supposed to be at cheerleading practice; her voice had become almost normal by the first week in May. Lilly decided on spur of the moment that she would go watch her girlfriend practice, and after dropping her books in her locker, headed in the direction of the gym.

She rounded a corner by a row of lockers and heard voices off the right side of the end of the hall. She slowly and quietly worked her way to the end of the hall, where she could distinguish said voices: One was her girlfriend. The other was one she faintly recognized, but could not name.

She poked her head around the corner. Miley had her back to Lilly and was standing across the hall. The blonde-haired jock standing in front of her, his lanky limbs hanging loosely at his sides, was not standing all that far from her. Lilly recognized him as Jake Ryan. But why would Miley be talking to Jake?

"Jake, I told you, it's over. It's been over since you left on Christmas Eve. You lost your chance."

Jake sighed. "Miley, please. We both know this is just a phase you're going through."

"A phase? You think that I'm not genuinely interested in Lilly?"

"Actually, no, I don't think you're interested. I think you're trying to convince yourself that you're over me."

"Convince myself? After this much time? Boy, you've got your head on backwards if you think I'd lie to myself this long about something like that. I'm dating Lilly by choice, not because I'm still stuck on you."

"Then kiss me and tell me you don't still feel it!"

"I will not cheat on my girlfriend."

"Miley, this is fucking pointless! You're not in love with her!"

"Just like I was never in love with you! You never did anything for me!"

"Because you never let me!"

"I can't be independent if I have to depend on someone. I can't depend on anyone, Jake. At any moment, those who are closest to me could turn around and stab me in the back."

Lilly couldn't draw away from the conversation. It hurt to hear Miley say such things, but she wasn't able to break away from the scene.

"And what about Lilly? Can you trust her?"

"What difference does it make?"

"You said it yourself. Those who are closest to you could stab you in the back."

"Are you suggesting she'd do that?"

"I didn't have to. You did."

Lilly saw her hand knot into a fist. Jake grinned.

"See? You don't love her. You're waiting for her to hurt you. You're just waiting for the opportunity to run, just like you ran away from me."

"You don't need me, Jake. You're not right for me. You're not right for any girl."

"I seemed to be right for you a few months ago."

Lilly's mind blanked as she watched Miley step closer. What was going to happen?

"You're just as much of an asshole now as you were then."

"You didn't seem to think that when we fucked at night, did you?"

"One. Time. One time, Jake, and that was only because I was drunk."

"You're cute when you scream."

"If you don't shut up, I'm about to look really fucking gorgeous."

"Fine. Deny the truth. You're only hurting Lilly."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Jake locked eyes with the blonde as she stood, just barely resisting her incessant tears. "How do you like your girlfriend now, Lilly?" he called gently.

Miley's body visibly stiffened. Jake smiled and slipped away down the hall, away from Lilly. The brunette did not turn around.

"H-how much of that...d-did-"

"Enough," Lilly choked. "I heard enough. Enough to know that I'm worthless to you."

The brunette spun around, anger in her eyes. "You know that's not true, Lilly."

"I don't, actually. The girl I thought I could depend on, who could depend on me, turns out to be someone I've never met before."

"Lilly-"

"No! I've heard enough." She took a shaky breath. "Miley Stewart...we're done. I've had enough."

Lilly turned away and slowly hobbled down the hall toward the exit. There was no sight in her eyes, no feeling in her legs, nothing within her at all. She felt hollow, numb, and completely isolated from her surroundings.

A hand rested on her shoulder from behind. She spun and struck at the brunette's hip with the crutch in her right arm. Miley cried out and fell into a row of lockers, smacking her elbow and her knee on some locks. Lilly glared, then turned and moved away as fast as she could. She needed to get away from Miley as fast as possible.

Lilly had once thought red wasn't her color. That evening, it certainly seemed to match her arms.

Misery. The way of the world. The way of Lilly's world, anyways. Fuck

A week had passed. She had barely been able to count the days. She'd hit rock bottom. Her grades were suffering immensely and she didn't have any shred of inspiration to pick them back up again. She'd only seen Miley between classes in the halls, but had refused to talk or to listen. Nothing mattered.

Another week passed. Still she continued to sink. Time seemed to blast past her while she moped and sobbed. Miley was the only thing she'd ever loved. The only thing she'd ever trusted. She was broken without the brunette.

Oliver was unreachable. He had completely detached from Lilly and had voided their friendship indefinitely via his actions. Lilly felt powerless and alone, feelings she had become accustomed to over the years.

Her razors did nothing for her. Slashing and hacking only left her feeling more miserable. She eventually gave up on that, too.

Max ignored her. He thought it was nothing.

Her father called her a stupid, hormonal teenager and went to work as normal with a clean conscience.

Her mother cared.

"Lilly, I know you're hurting right now. Miley may have just said those things in the heat of the moment, though. And, also, if you want her back, you can go after her. I don't think she can say no to you."

Sure she could. Just the way she did before.

Her mother was right, though. No matter how hard Lilly tried to convince herself otherwise, she couldn't deny the truth in the words. Damn her mother for being right.

The problem was, when would she go get her girl back?

Max ignored her.

Her father called her a dyke and glared at her whenever he saw her.

Her mother stood beside her. "As soon as you can, Lilly. She needs you just like you need her."

It was settled. Lilly would get Miley back before the last day of school. She had to have her girlfriend for the summer. It was a necessity.

* * *

**_Yeah, rather sudden and brief ending. Couldn't think of what else to say. Next chapter will be better. I love all you guys. ~Kyttin_**


	17. Take It All Back

_**A/N: WARNING: MATURE CONTENT AND EXPLICIT THEMES. DO. NOT. READ. IF. EASILY. OFFENDED. PERIOD.**_

_**Now that that's out of the way...FFn is having issues, I guess. The past seven times I've tried to post this chapter, I've been unsuccessful. So, I opened up one of my existing documents located here and copy-pasted the chapter in. No big deal. Just easy mechanics and computer usage, right? Assuming it works, which I think it should. Oh well. If not, the page will go white once again, and I'll have to copy-paste the whole ordeal another time. **_

_**Morbid Crow: Yeah, well, if that chapter wasn't, this chapter is. :S**_

_**Merc with a story: Wade, I've gotta tell you, I never expected that kind of review. I unfortunately had to disable anonymous reviews to back him the fuck down, but dude, I'm honestly surprised and grateful for what you said. That was a much-needed pick-me-up, but it unfortunately didn't carry into the story. I still feel as though these past few chapters have been lacking. Beware the content of this one: it's...well...dark. :/**_

_**Sabotage Monkey: I live to surprise readers. Hopefully this chapter is a shell-shock, but it might be a bit too much for readers to handle in the end.**_

_**CloudGazer15: Ahahaha. Just wait.**_

_**SGM: One day at a time...I skip over a couple weeks or something, I think. Not as bad as the months that I missed in the middle of the story, though.**_

_**MileyNick611: (regarding Chapter 2) Anyone can be feminine if they try. Some of the people I know are male and are flaming so bad I have to wear fireproof clothing. (regarding Chapter 16) Is this soon enough?  
**_

_**DisneyFanGirl27: Yeah...I'll not toot my own horn on this one unless someone wants it...**_

_**desertstormx: Hahaha. Read, then. :)**_

_**ChocolateYuriObsesser: Yeah, well...how far will the bonds of love go before they break?**_

_**Thanks to MileyNick611 for spamming my inbox with +watchies and +favies. Also, forewarning, this chapter may be a bit harsh for you guys. I didn't go into explicit detail, but, well...let's just say something...happens...Read if you dare, skip to the end if you don't.  
**_

* * *

Chapter 17: Take It All Back

She could feel something was amiss. But what, she did not know. She took a single moment to reflect on her day and try to solve the mystery.

She had woken up and eaten. School as normal. Had seen Miley around campus. Noted that Miley looked incredibly tired and sorrowful. She almost felt bad. Almost.

So, if nothing had been amiss, why did sitting in her room at seven in the evening feel wrong? Was there supposed to be something else she needed to be doing?

No. There was nothing. It was the night before her last day of school. She had already planned the night out. She would sneak out to Miley's in the dead of night, get to her house, apologize for her rashness, and try to get Miley to take her back. She knew she had to have Miley in her arms again, had to hold the girl again, to tell her everything would be alright.

"Lilly, time for dinner," her mother called gently. The blonde stood and stretched gently; it was her first day off the crutches and she felt a bit weak and flimsy. Her leg acted more like a wet noodle than support; she hadn't used it in a very long time and had lost some of the muscle mass to fat. She shivered at putting weight on the weakened limb. Her doctor had told her that she would need to begin using it soon, but Lilly wondered if it was too soon.

Yet she managed to get herself to dinner. Silence descended upon the table, leaving Lilly to think while she stuffed her food down her throat. Every now and again she would receive a funny look from her mother, though she was indifferent to responding. She had other things on her mind.

Dinner ended quickly for her. She went back to her room to wait. Her music thrummed quietly from her computer, lulling her a bit. There was nothing to do for four more hours. She had already planned everything. She'd even popped the screen loose in her window's frame so that she had easy access to the backyard. All she needed was for time to speed up.

An hour passed. She still gazed idly at her computer screen. Oliver was online. So was his new girlfriend Joannie. Lilly never really cared for Joannie. Never made up with Oliver, either. Didn't matter either way.

Another hour.

Fuck, ten o'clock was still way too early. She began to feel a bit drowsy. Fuck...this was not good. She set the alarm on her phone for midnight, just in case.

She opened her eyes to darkness. Her computer had turned itself off automatically; she told it to auto-shutdown if she hadn't touched it for an hour.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She spun wildly in her chair. Fuck...just rain. Rain tapping on the

_Bzzzzzz._

She muted her phone. Midnight. Time to go.

_(time lapse)_ **MATURE CONTENT WARNING. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.**

Soaking. Wet. Just fucking perfect.

It's all for Miley. Do it for Miley.

Right. Miley. Behind that door.

Lilly pushed the front door. It swung open readily. What the hell?

Red flags went up. Something was amiss. More so than had been at her house. What the fuck was going on?

She stepped in cautiously, shutting the door silently behind her. She passed into the kitchen, eyes wide, pupils dilated, sucking in all vestiges of light on the moonless night. Nothing seemed wrong. All was quiet.

Hairs prickled on the back of her neck. Something was DEFINITELY wrong.

She grabbed at a kitchen knife that happened to be on the counter. Why? She couldn't explain. The knife almost felt as though it jumped into her hand.

She stepped into the livingroom. Nothing wrong here, either. Looked like Robbie had enjoyed a nice card game with Miley; there were kings and queens and jacks and aces scattered everywhere across the floor. Hmm...

She stepped into the hall. Her body immediately detected a decrease in temperature. Something was very, very wrong.

Nothing in the bathroom. Just darkness and a porcelain pot beside a porcelain bowl.

Nothing in Robbie's room. Darkness and a sleeping figure.

Lilly gulped. She was suddenly very aware of how wet she was from the rain. Fuck. Why did she have to be wet and drippy when she had such a bad feeling?

Robbie grunted in his sleep. Lilly nearly dropped the knife in surprise. Fuck, this was not good.

She touched Miley's door handle and had a wave of ice blast her. The problem was behind the door.

The door swung inward easily, silently, on hinges that were surprisingly well-oiled. Lilly gaped, dumbstruck, at Miley's bed.

For Miley was not the only person in the bed that evening. It seemed she had a male friend over, and he was definitely enjoying his ride.

Lilly stood stock still. She focused entirely on Miley's figure beneath his. Something wasn't right. Even as she watched him plunging in and ripping out, she could tell something wasn't right with the girl beneath the crazed boy.

He slapped her. Hard. It echoed around the room.

Lilly suddenly understood with stunning clarity what was happening. She was witnessing Miley being raped. Her grip tightened on the knife. Bastard. He must die.

Lilly stepped silently into the room, letting the door re-shut behind her. Miley definitely needed her help now. Something was indeed very wrong. The love of her life was being fucked mercilessly by the assailant.

_Slap!_

Something snapped. Lilly felt herself go ballistic, watched in slow motion as she threw the knife hard, saw it twirl and flip through the air, strike butt-first into the back of the assailant's head, watched him stop and fall off the bed in shock. He stood, turned, and charged at Lilly, but the blonde was more than ready.

His face was met by an oncoming fist. Next he got a hard kick in the thigh. He spun wildly, but Lilly didn't stop. She crashed her fist into the side of his head again, then brought her foot into his manhood from behind as he spun. He dropped to the floor, where she jumped on him, screaming wildly, smashing his face and his ribs and his arms and fingers and whatever the fuck else she could reach. She then dropped her weight onto his stomach, kneeling on him, and began pulverizing his face. Right fist, left fist, right fist, left fist, right, left, right, left, right, left, back and forth and back and forth until she was finally dragged off by two slim, strong hands. She spun around to find

Miley.

Naked. Weeping. Terrified and cold and horribly alone as she stood there, holding Lilly by the forearms.

Lilly opened her bloodied fists and wrapped Miley in a crushing hug, stroking the brunette's hair and holding her tightly, even as the lights flicked on and Robbie gasped in horror.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Lilly looked down at the body on the floor, seeing it properly in the light for the first time.

Jake. Ryan.

"Robbie..." Lilly tried. "Police. Now."

He blinked, locking eyes with Lilly, a death glare of passion and frenzy. "Lilly, what the FUCK is going on here?"

"Your daughter was being raped by this trash," Lilly said quietly, keeping a deathly serious face, her gaze piercing and cold and livid with an unsatisfied bloodlust. The shaggy-haired blonde at the door blinked.

"My...m-my little girl...a-again?"

His face paled when Lilly nodded, still stroking Miley's hair, still holding the sobbing girl tightly in her arms. "Call the police. Explain the situation. Miley's safe now."

She watched the tears fall down his face, realized that she too was crying, and blinked, holding Miley even tighter. The brunette squeezed back just as tightly, resting her forehead against Lilly's right shoulder. She watched the man move slowly down the hall, his eyes burning into Lilly's long after he left. She finally looked to the cold, naked brunette in her arms.

"Miley...you're safe now."

The brunette let go. She looked Lilly square in the eyes. "Lilly...I w-was so s-scared...I...I-I couldn't s-speak..."

"Shh." Lilly cut in curtly. "Sit."

Miley sat on her bed, hugging herself tightly. Lilly kicked the body away from the dresser and tossed a bra and some panties at the bed, migrating shortly to the closet to find a shirt and pants for Miley to wear.

"Let me help you," she called gently. Miley's fingers were shaking crazily even as Lilly helped dress her.

"Lilly...I'm so sorry..."

"Shh. Don't apologize. He made you. He's the one. He's the problem."

"But...I said all those things..."

"Shh. Fuck that. What's done is done. I don't care. Miley..." she stopped tugging the pants up Miley's bare legs and locked eyes with the girl. "Seeing him doing that to you, and seeing you so helpless...crushed me. Made me angry. Made me do what I did," she whispered, jerking her head in the direction of the body on the floor. "Jake deserves to die for that, Miley. He deserves to burn for what he did to you. I should have killed him."

"No-"

"I should have. But I didn't. Because you stopped me. Because I let you. You know why?"

Miley blinked. Lilly tugged the pants up the girl's legs, got them situated, then laced fingers with the girl's shaking hands.

"Because I love you, Miley Stewart. I love you and I respect you and I missed you from the moment I ended it because I knew right then that it was the wrong thing for me to do. I knew, I _knew _that I was making the biggest damn mistake of my life by doing that, and I did it anyways. I don't know what the hell I was thinking, Miley, but fuck, I've never made a worse decision in my life."

"You were protecting yourself Lilly...I was such a bitch to you..."

Lilly's eyes darkened. She didn't know why, but she swung her hand hard, stopping it right as it touched the brunette's face. Miley didn't flinch, only looked more scared.

"No, Miley. Don't you EVER think like that. I had to be told eventually. I had to know the truth. And I love you more because of it."

Lilly made no move, but found herself kissing Miley soundly and passionately and with all the intensity of her soul and her spirit fused with her mind and heart into one complex jumble of one solitary emotion: love. And Lilly knew for a fact right then that Miley loved her too, for saving her life, for being there, and for standing by Miley through the worst of it all, just as Lilly loved her for being supportive, honest, and the true Miley that nobody else had ever seen.

* * *

**_Harsh enough for you? Just in case you're wondering, I planned this rape FROM THE MOMENT I introduced it into this story several chapters ago. This particular chapter has been in my mind for the past couple months, and I had about six different scenarios of how it would go, but this one was what struck me first and foremost. I'm sorry for the brutality and shockingly disturbing nature of this chapter, but I tried to keep details to a minimum and emotions raging, just the way teenagers usually tend to be. I love all you guys, and I've already prepared my shield for the battering of outraged remarks and reviews I will most likely receive for this chapter. ~Kyttin_**


	18. Confrontation

_**A/N: It may seem a bit soon for an update, but I had an idea of what to do with this chapter. I kinda formulated half the conversation in my mind this morning before school, but when I came back to the computer, I'd lost nearly all of it, so I decided to just go with what I thought was funny and what fit her character. By the way, I've never had to speak to an officer before, so I'm not sure that the dialogue is exactly right of their protocol, but I've seen several investigation-type-shows where cops will put incarcerated persons in rooms and interrogate them. Unfortunately...it's Lilly they want to talk to.**_

**_desertstormx: But that wouldn't be conductive to living a healthy lifestyle, now would it?_**

**_Morbid Crow: As I said above, that wouldn't be conductive to living a healthy lifestyle, now would it?_**

**_SabotageMonkey: Hahaha. Except that not many would have predicted I'd be so bold as to write in a rape scene. I'm a bad boy, I guess._**

**_MileyNick611: No worries about the reviewing or the spammage; it only served to amuse me to no end. However, hopefully this is quick enough for you; I doubt I'll be able to write another chapter tomorrow night or by the end of the week; I just had time left over after band practice and decided I needed to vent and clear my mind._**

**_CloudGazer15: I got it. He's a bad boy. Like me. Keep in mind, I'm the writer. I WROTE him doing that. Don't blame him, blame me. :)_**

**_ChocolateYuriObssesser: It wasn't to continue the story, per se...more like a very dark, devious plot twist of mine. Another twist, another strand of writing to tie up. Ah well._**

**_Thanks to ChocolateYuriObssesser for the +fav. It means a lot. And without further ado, Chapter Eighteen of Never Give In.  
_**

* * *

Chapter 18: Confrontation

"Miss Truscott. You're not helping us at all."

"Oh, good. Then I'm doing my job properly."

"If you wish to convict Mister Ryan, you'll have to give us your account of the story."

"I refuse."

"Why do you refuse to help your friend Miss Stewart?"

"Because I've been wrongly incarcerated by hapless police officers, that's why."

"It says, right here, in Mister Stewart's statement that you were not given permission to enter the home at any time that night, nor was your presence known until he heard banging and screaming in the room across the hall."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Next time the girl I happen to be madly in love with is getting raped, I'll just stand on the sidelines and watch it happen, yeah? Maybe that'll make you feel better because at least I won't have broke into a house with an _unlocked front door_. I can imagine it's the same you'd have done if it were your wife, right? Just watch her get raped by a man you hate...Oh yes, let's stand and _watch_ like good little boys and girls."

The officer's temple pulsed. "Miss, if you refuse to give us an account of the story from your point of view, the court may rule against Miss Stewart on the grounds of 'lack of proper evidence.' Would you risk that of Miss Stewart?"

"You've already had her account and her father's. A more honest duo of people I have yet to meet."

"We don't know that."

"Then you're a fool. If you don't think that man is honest about the rape of his own daughter, then you're a damn fool."

"A person can never be too sure."

"Nor can you be too stupid. Honestly, would he LIE about the rape of his own daughter after seeing me pulverize Jake over it?"

"So, you're telling me that you refuse to give testimony, you believe you are wrongly incarcerated, and our police staff is 'hapless' and 'stupid', correct?"

"Your memory astounds me," Lilly drawled, rolling her eyes. She then clapped her hands and put on a fake enthusiastic voice. "Maybe they could give you a shiny badge and call you the Memory Man. And you'll be a god to society and they will all bow to you because you know how to _remember _some things a teenage girl says to you. What would this world do without you?"

She sat back, looking bored and angry. The man blinked slowly, grinding his teeth together. Lilly was glad she had pissed him off. Perhaps he'd lock her up for the rest of the day and the coming night. It was only seven in the morning. She had time to kill. Technically, she'd be missing the last day of school if he did, though. Another plus. And she'd have to sit with some inmates who were guilty of other crimes far worse than simple 'breaking' and entering. That would be just delightful.

"I'm about ready to go tell the sergeant and the detective that you refuse to give a statement, then to tell your mother that her daughter will remain with us until a complete academic and personal background check has been performed, which could take up to two weeks to accomplish. Is there anything you'd like to say on your behalf before I leave?"

"Look, cop-man. Don't think for a minute that you can intimidate me. That gun can't be used unless I threaten you with my own, which I lack. That mace is also illegal to use without cause. Your flashlight could blind me, and technically, that's illegal too. You may have a badge and a uniform and a hat, but that doesn't make you any different from the plainclothes person beside you. Underneath all that, you're just another person like me. No, you can't scare me. And no, I have nothing to say regarding your cock-and-bull story. A background check on my grades and my personal history will do very little for you, other than prove that since Miley entered my life my grades have improved drastically. Oh, and you may also see my speech lisp that I had corrected by a tutor and my IEP which convinces most that I'm retarded. So, just in case there's any confusion, now you know. Good day."

The cop stormed out. He was nowhere near pleased with what he got from Lilly. Good. Let him squirm. She was put under a microscope and told to talk to the man, but what happened to him if she didn't talk? Probably nothing good. She smiled inwardly. Leaving people out to dry always felt good, especially with people who were out of their minds.

The door opened. In stepped another cop, this one with a pointed sheriff's badge.

"Alright, Missy. My colleague has made it clear to me that you've been less than helpful, and we don't like it when our clients are unhelpful. We need you to cough up a statement, and I'm not leaving until you do."

"Sure. Take the tough guy approach. That last guy was a wuss anyways." Lilly shook her head, gazing at the man boredly. "Look, cop."

"Sheriff," he corrected.

"Sheriff, cop, doesn't fucking matter. Still a guy who acts tough and carries a gun he will most likely never use. I personally don't care what rank you are, you're still a person. Doesn't make you any better or stronger or higher-power than me. And if you're serious about waiting to get a statement from me before leaving, you'd better have a hell of a lot of time on your hands and an infinite amount of patience, because I'm not giving you one iota of assistance until my incarceration is cleared and nullified."

The sergeant cracked his neck slowly, straightening his tie and rumpling his upper lip, which bent his mustache in weird arrays before settling back to its semi-bushy state. "Missy, you're doing nothing to help me and everything to hurt that nice girl and her father that are sitting in the waiting room at this moment."

"I'm not the one who's trying to terrorize a little girl, so who ends up being the one hurting the 'nice little girl' and her father in the end?"

Once again, the sergeant rolled his mustache. "You're not getting out without giving me a statement."

"You want a statement? How long? Because I can keep it to four words for you: Let. Me. Go. Now."

"I can't do that until you cooperate."

"Two word statement: Fuck. That. Short enough for you?"

"You're not cooperating."

Lilly clapped her hands, once again putting on the fake voice. "Oh, good, it understands! Maybe next I'll be able to tell him that there's an empty chair in the room and that he can sit in it when his legs get tired! Oh, gosh and golly gee, I could teach him to do all sorts of tricks."

The man's eyebrows furrowed beneath his large reflective glasses. He leaned over the table, bringing his face within an inch of Lilly's, who looked him in the lenses with calm, quiet blue eyes that masked the boiling anger she felt within.

"I'm beginning to lose my patience, Missy. You won't get out of here unless you give me that statement."

"And I'm not saying anything with regard to that event until I'm released and the incarceration is nullified."

"This only ends up hurting you, Missy. You and your little friend out there."

"Just the same way smoking will someday be the death of you, Mister Bad Breath. Perhaps you should check that problem of yours before it gets worse. Tobacco is very addicting, you know. It leads to lip, throat, and lung cancer if you aren't careful. But judging from your voice, it's already having an effect. Too bad, so sad."

The man smiled wickedly. "Trying to change the subject?"

"Just seeing how well you're paying attention to me. So far, you're not doing all that good."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, during the whole time you've been talking, I've been able to reach out and touch your gun twice, your mace bottle three times, and turn your flashlight on and off. If you were a good cop, you wouldn't leave yourself so open to things like that. Better shape up, dude. A little thing like me with a big bad gun could be very bad for you in the end."

He scowled and backed away, checking that everything was still in the holsters around his belt. Lilly laughed mentally; she hadn't actually touched any of his stuff, just wanted to see what his reaction would be.

"You think you're funny, don't you? Think it's easy being me?"

"Please. Coffee? Doughnuts? Intimidating little girls? Give me some sushi and a hot tub and this place would be like heaven to me."

"It's harder than that. We have to protect the community."

"Speaking of which, while you spend time in here with me, you could be stopping bank robberies and the gang fights between the Viets and the Beans which are sure to break out in that very neighborhood that my friend happens to live in, but yet here you are, oblivious to the struggles of the community. What a public hero. You deserve a round of applause."

Lilly clapped, willingly and openly mocking him. He stood still for a moment.

"Cat got your tongue?"

He ripped the door open. "Get out."

"Oh, finally, we comply with the guest's wishes. You're a bit late to that party, don't you think?"

"Get. Out. Now."

Lilly sighed. "Fine, fine, no need to push me. I'm going, I'm going."

She made it to the door frame when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Don't think you've won, Missy. There's still the trial to cover."

Lilly blinked. She spun, grabbing his arm and twisting it away from her body, lifting her fist up and swinging. She stopped it at the bridge of his nose, right in front of his mirrored glasses, his arm trapped uselessly by his side.

"Don't think you can scare me, old man. You've probably done less for this community than the rest of them. You've also forgotten your training, too, else I wouldn't have been able to do that."

He fidgeted. She let go and walked calmly from the room, dusting her hands off as she strode down the hall. Miley met her in the waiting room.

"They let you go?"

"After I gave them shit..."

"Lillian, that is no way to talk with your mother in the room," Heather said sternly, looking more relieved than angry. Lilly blinked.

"I think I have a right. I was incarcerated for breaking into a house that had an unlocked front door only to save this girl, the love of my life, from the clutches of a rapist and fellow classmate of ours. I think that deserves me giving them some shit over the whole ordeal."

Her mother frowned, but brushed Miley gently aside and embraced her daughter. "Lilly...I've never been more proud of you for standing up for something in my whole life. You've made me proud to say that I am your mother, and I promise to always be there for you, no matter what."

"Aww, mom...you're embarrassing me..."

Then Miley kissed her chastely, and it ceased to matter. She was out. Granted, there had been a lot of trouble, and Jake was still only under arrest without any official charges, but she was out and free, and madly in love with the girl she'd given her heart to.

"Miley, I don't feel like going to school today."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," the brunette replied. They both turned to their parents, holding hands.

"You've both already been signed out for the day," Heather stated. "Feel free to spend the day with each other. I wouldn't force either of you to go to school with such a hardship on your shoulders."

"I agree with Heather," Robbie said quietly. His eyes were bloodshot and there were stains on his cheeks. "Miley means everything to me, and I...I can't force her to go to school after such a trauma."

"Dad...I'm not a baby or a child," Miley soothed.

"But you're my little girl. You'll always be my little girl, Miley, no matter what. It's too much to ask of you to face school today, darling."

"Even if I want to go?"

"Miley, he's got a point. You're trying to soothe him by fighting him, but often it doesn't end up working out like it should," Heather said gently. Robbie nodded.

"I just don't want to lose my little girl," he choked. Miley hugged him tightly. Lilly could feel her tear ducts beginning to act up.

"I'll always be your little girl, daddy," she whispered. She kissed the man on the cheek, and Lilly felt a tear fall onto hers. It was the most precious moment of her life to see such a tight family tie, and she was glad, once again, to have Miley in her life, the sweetest, most gentle, most passionate girl she had ever known.

* * *

_**I don't think this one turned out as bad as the last one, but I HAD to let Lilly go. I HAD to. The story would have halted had I not. Besides, they can't keep a teen in jail for something she was heroic about, even if she had one fault in there. I think this story will come to an end within two to three chapters. If there's enough hype, I do have ideas for a second one, one that would switch perspective to Miley and cycle between her past and her present. Angel Of Death needs to be finished; I've just gotta stop pussyfooting around and finish the damn thing. It only needs one chapter. Anyways, that's the gameplan. I love all you guys, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feelings. ~Kyttin**_


	19. Jumbled Jigsaw

**_A/N: Another rapid update, I know, but I decided today (after hashing out some of my thoughts to a piece of notebook paper) that this would be the penultimate chapter of Never Give In (penultimate meaning second-to-last). It's a bit of a sorrow and a bit of a relief to say that I will be able to end this FanFic after so much time and so many reviews. I'm honestly very surprised I received so many; I think the total count is up over 100 and the average per chapter is about seven or eight. Thank you guys so much in advance for everything you've done and helped with (since this isn't the end of the story yet)._**

**_Morbid Crow: Yeah, well, Lilly's that kind of person. At least, she is in this story. She's smart enough to not asplode, though._**

**_CloudGazer15: Well, technically, yelling at the character is yelling at the author, so...you kinda did, in an abstract way. XD_**

**_desertstormx: He told them she didn't have his permission to be there, remember? That's constituted as trespassing on private property. He didn't intend to get her into trouble, but that's the ultimate outcome. Hey, she's out, though, right?_**

**_MileyNick611: Now three chapters in a row...Next chapter will be the finale, the ending of this story. I MIGHT do a sequel; if I do, I already have an idea lined up for it. As for updating, don't tell me to wait half a year; if I'm given that kind of deadline, I'll put it off until then. I'm terrible at meeting dates and times. Yes, I have a band...Ghosts of War is on Facebook, Myspace, and Reverbnation if you would like to look us up. I'm the only member who will wear white, as well as the only member who has hair not colored brown or darker. Write me as big of a review as you'd like; the bigger it is, the more I have to talk about and splain. :)_**

**_SabotageMonkey: Yeah, nobody expected that. Originally, I was going to have something involving Oliver, but he'd be the one saving Miley cuz Lilly would be disabled or something...But I took care of that in this chapter. Only one knot left to tie up, I think...although, if there are any unanswered questions left over, please do let me know (that goes for everyone). Cops are just people who can legally push others around. I have never personally met a cop who would do something like this, but they'd probably ask a whole lot more about the situation before arresting Lilly, that's for sure. Don't be sad about the ending; as I told MileyNick611, I've got ideas for a sequel (but nothing set in stone yet). ;)_**

**_SGM: (regarding Chapter 17) You could say whatever you'd like, dude. Reviewers are great, as long as they don't start flaming or trolling or attacking the reader repeatedly and blindly the way Bro Ho did to me. On to the content...I couldn't set up any other character in the story to be the victim since Lilly's too headstrong, Amber's not critical, and Joannie was never introduced (until this chapter). Miley was the only one. She was the only one who I'd said had been raped prior to the story's beginning. And on Robbie...imagine if it was your daughter. I don't know that I accurately portrayed his emotional escapade, but I assure you, he was both pissed and weak-kneed. It's a burning hollowness that you have no cure for, that will never go away and will forever scar the mind and soul. (regarding Chapter 18) That's just Lilly for you. :) Now, onward to this chapter, yes?_**

**_ChocolateYuriObssesser: ...well...I don't know that it was "FUCKIN' AWESOME", but I know that I at least enjoyed writing it. Bantering back and forth like that is a specialty of mine, both in writing and in speaking. That, and creating a dramatic horror-based scene in a mind's eye. No, I probably won't end up writing horror fiction on here for a little while at least. I need to develop an audience first, I guess. XD If you wish to learn, oh Young One, all you must do is sharpen your mind to sharpen your tongue, and words of wisdom will be like with those of wit. ;)_**

**_Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me thusfar. We've only got one more chapter after this one, so be sure to enjoy the ending. Reread if you're unsatisfied. If you're still unsatisfied after that, do it again. If you've memorized it by then and are STILL unsatisfied...spam my inbox with requests for a sequel. It just might make me do it. ;) And now, Chapter 19 of Never Give In.  
_**

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Chapter 19: Jumbled Jigsaw

"You saved Miley from a rapist?"

"Dad, not now."

"Honey, I think that deserves some merit."

Lilly blinked, then spun around rather suddenly in her chair. "Saving someone from rape deserves merit?"

"Why, yes, I think it does."

Kenneth Truscott suddenly found himself being attacked by a book.

"Fuck you. _Fuck you! _Merit? That's not something you take pride in, dad! It's something you're grateful for and move on from! _Grades _are something you take pride in. _Handiwork _is something else. But I guess you never really saw it that way."

The man looked stunned. "You're out of line, Lillian."

"Out of line? I'm out of my fucking _mind, d_ad! Imagine if you walked in on mom being raped by some sick fuck! You wouldn't be too sane after it, either! And actually, I'm making a whole shitload of sense considering what's happened."

She felt Miley step up behind her and begin massaging her tense shoulders. The man in the doorway shook his head slowly, gazing at his daughter.

"After all I've done for you-"

"Please. Don't _even _pull that crap with me. You haven't been there. You gave mom a good time and left her to clean up the mess. Typical guy, hiding from his problems, right?"

Now he looked angered. "Lillian, you will watch your mouth in my house."

"I can't see it, therefore I can't watch it. No, dad. Given all that I've been through, all that _she's _been through, and all that your wife has supported us through when you _spurned _and _scorned _us, calling us dykes and tribbers and sinners...I don't want your 'merit' just like I don't want cancer or AIDS. You want to give me merit? Find my fucking report card. THERE'S the pride you should have. _This _is not something to be proud of having happened. Gratitude fits. Pride does not."

The door slammed. Miley sighed and left Lilly's shoulders. The blonde looked at her companion worriedly.

"Miley?"

"You have a thing for shooting down people who want to help, don't you?"

Lilly was caught off-guard. "Er...what?"

"He wanted to say thanks, Lilly. He was trying to be a good father."

"Miley, that's not his angle. His angle is that he finally realized that his daughter has been trying to do it right all along, and now he feels guilty that he's been such a bad father to me. He was trying to apologize. I don't want his apology. I want a father. That's why I like your dad so much. He actually CARES about you. He even cares about me, and I'm not his responsibility or child."

Miley hung her head, her cheeks a little pink. "I wish you'd give your dad a chance."

"I gave him sixteen years of my life, Miley. Sixteen years. And he gave me the finger. Now it's my turn to return the favor."

"So...when I offend you...am I going to get the finger, too?"

Lilly sighed. "Damnit, Miley...you could never offend me."

"But I made you mad."

"I'm not mad. I'm exasperated. After everything that's happened, you still think some of this is your fault."

"Isn't it?"

"No. None of it is. You didn't ask Jake to rape you. You didn't ask for anything you've been handed, it's the way the cards were dealt at your birth. Like a giant poker game. All you can do is try to play your hand the best you can."

"Then why do you push your dad away? Isn't he in your hand?"

"He threw my card out of his. What's good for me must be good for him."

"And what happens when I displease you?"

"Stop right there."

Miley looked up, sadness in her eyes. The bags on her skin, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyelids, the gobbledegook hair. Lilly sighed and stepped slowly toward the most beautiful thing she'd ever laid eyes on.

"Miley, you have to stop jumping off the deep end about these things. What happened happened. That's that."

"It's not as easy as that."

"I can make it that easy."

"How? You just gonna brush off this event like nothing?"

Lilly felt a vein pulse in her temple. Miley sure was good at giving her a colonoscopy.

"Miley, lay down."

The brunette didn't budge. Lilly ripped her own shirt and jeans off, leaving her standing before Miley in lingerie.

"Lay down, love."

"I can't sleep. I'm too terrified."

"Of what?"

"Of...another episode..."

"Miley, lay down. You need it."

"But...what happens if someone comes a-again?" she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

Lilly shushed her gently and began removing Miley's outer articles of clothing, leaving both girls in lingerie, one pale but calm, the other tanned but weak. Lilly gently pressed her lips to Miley's forehead.

"Lay down, love."

Miley finally moved to oblige, her body shaking terribly. Lilly slipped the covers over her girlfriend before sliding in next to her, holding her quaking body gently in her arms. She leaned forward and stroked Miley's hair, shushing her gently as the tears began to flow.

"Miley, nobody will ever touch you again. From now on, where you sleep is where I sleep, no matter what."

"P-promise?"

"Promise."

Miley shivered and sighed into Lilly's neck. "Th-thank you s-so much, Lilly..."

"Don't thank me. Just rest."

"B-but...w-wait...what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Y-you said...nobody will e-ever t-t-touch me...even y-you?"

Lilly blinked. "Miley, when I say nobody, I MEAN nobody. At least, not in a perverse way."

"Lilly...I love you...a-and...n-no matter what...I-I want us t-to be h-happy...I w-want that s-side of you, t-t-too..."

Miley blushed profusely, still shaking and crying weakly in Lilly's arms. Lilly giggled and kissed Miley's forehead once more.

"Not now, love. You need rest. Maybe once you're feeling better. And only if you're the one to start anything...and you have to be absolutely certain it's what you want. Don't feel guilty or pressured for my sake; I'd wait forever and a day for you, Miley."

The brunette sighed and kissed Lilly's breast bone, just beneath the hollow of her neck. "I love you so much, Lilly Truscott."

"And I love you, Miley Stewart. You are my world, my stars, my everything."

_(time lapse)_

"Miley, are you going to be coming to practice, or what?" the dark-skinned Amber demanded, hands on hips, foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

"Practice? For what?"

"Soccer, cheer, and volleyball, of course! We've gotta be on our A-game for the coming year!"

"Amber, the season doesn't start until the fall."

"But we've gotta get the jump on it _now!_"

Lilly blinked. "Miley, you aren't seriously considering going with her, are you?"

"What choice do I have? I'm team captain."

"Miley...it's only been three days. You're not ready."

"I'm not?"

Lilly held one of Miley's shaking arms up for the brunette to see with her own eyes. "You're still quaking like a cellphone with a text message. You need to relax, Miley. It's summer. There'll be plenty of time to practice when the season starts."

"Is that blonde bitch trying to convince you to stay and fuck her or something?"

Lilly watched Miley's brows furrow. "Amber Addison, I've had enough of you. You're off all three teams for unsportsmanlike conduct and lack of tact. I'm the captain, I'll decide when we practice, and today's not a day for practice."

"She's manipulating you!"

"Fuck you!" Lilly cried. "She doesn't operate by your agenda! She has her own demons to deal with!"

"Who, Jake Ryan?" The aggravated teen flipped her black hair over her shoulder, scoffing angrily. "Even Saint Sarah could have handled that chickenshit."

Lilly watched her vision go white. She could tell she was beyond livid. It was one thing to say things, it was another to belittle a major trauma, and she'd made a molehill out of a mountain.

Thus, it was without regret that Amber once again ended up on the ground, though this time sporting a broken nose and several crushed fingers. Her ribs and scalp would be lovely shades of blue and purple by the next morning, and she'd be sore all over for several days. Lilly didn't care. It wasn't her problem to deal with. She'd taught Amber a lesson, and on school grounds, no less. Her work was done.

"Lilly..."

Well, almost.

She turned to find another unexpected surprise: Oliver, with his arm around a girl. She was gazing haughtily at Lilly, as though there was animosity between them.

"Oliver," she greeted stiffly. "What brings you around?"

"I was just hoping that I might see you and Miley again...to apologize, again."

He hung his head. Lilly sighed.

"Dude, you and I used to be tight. Then I found out you did this to her. What the hell do you want me to say?"

He chewed his lip, still staring at his shoelaces. "I...I just want you to know that I'm sorry...deeply sorry. I...I knew that I was a horrible person for it even before I did anything. But I did it anyways...just to escape some problems at home. I didn't want any of it to happen, Lilly. Shit hit the fan and I bugged out. I...I'm sorry."

"Oliver, if it were anyone but you, I would never forgive you," Lilly said quietly. Miley squeezed her shoulder and gently touched her lips to the back of Lilly's right cheek, behind her jaw and under her ear. Lilly knew it was her silent way of giving approval and strength to the blonde's words.

"You...forgive me? Even after all I've done?"

"Miley did. She did from the first apology. If she can, there shouldn't be any reason I can't. You didn't hurt me. You hurt her."

He sighed. The girl's arm tightened against his side.

"I know, Lilly...I don't even know where to begin to apologize to her..."

"Oliver, if Lilly has finally come to terms with it and decided to at least give you her forgiveness, then you have mine, too."

He looked both relieved and shell-shocked. "You...both of you...are utterly amazing..."

"Man up, Oliver. Even I'm not this big of a drag queen, and I'm a girl."

He half-laughed and looked up at them, a bit of sadness in his eyes. "I promise, I'll never cause either of you pain ever again."

"You'd better not," Lilly warned semi-playfully, "else that little bit of arm-candy you've got there will have quite a mess to pick up and carry home."

"Arm candy? Oh!" His cheeks flooded red. "Um...Lilly, Miley, this is my g-girlfriend, Joannie Palumbo."

"Palumbo...Junior?"

The dark-haired girl nodded. "I don't look like it, do I?"

"You're a little on the petite side," Miley commented cautiously, "but it suits your looks."

This earned a light pink tinge in Joannie's cheeks. She coughed. "Well, at any rate...I've finally met Oliver's had-been closest friend and the girl she's, er..."

"Fucking?" Lilly suggested. Miley elbowed her, cheeks red.

"...I wasn't going to say that," she replied unsteadily. "I was going to say 'in love with', but it seems your mind is elsewhere."

Now Lilly went red. "And so we migrate from one awkward miscommunication to another. I think on that note Miley and I had best be going."

Oliver gave them an apologetic, lopsided smile. "I'll see you around, Lilly."

"For sure. Maybe at the skatepark, yeah?"

"I'd like that."

Lilly gave him a relaxed grin, her shoulders losing a bit of their tension. But it was not until she returned to her room with Miley in her arms for the night that she finally calmed all the way down and let her shoulders fall limply into her lover's arms, the way she slept all night that night.

* * *

**_Almost done...almost out...Like I said, one more knot to tie. One more action to justify. Hey...those would make good song lyrics...hmmm..._**

**_My song-writing mood aside, I love all you guys and I look forward to your thoughts, feelings, comments, and suggestions. And hey, I wasn't kidding about ideas for a sequel. I've essentially planned out the main subject of the plot's progression; the only things I'd need would be a climactic scene and a method of induction into the main plot-line. So, essentially, it's already been written in my mind. Something to chew on. Enjoy. ~Kyttin  
_**


	20. Such Tangled Webs

**_A/N: I'm a little disappointed in my reviewers, as I only had three or four of them...come on, guys. For this short chapter, this final chapter of my story, I want EVERYONE to review, and I want to get LOOOOOOOONG reviews in my inbox. CONVINCE me that you need a sequel. It's my birthday tomorrow, after all, and I turn 18, meaning that I can "legally" write like this now. So, come on. I want to know what you have to say. Let's hear it. _**

**_merc with a story: The title of the story is Never Give In, is it not? Did either of these girls ever give in to their fears or their problems? (Well, okay, Lilly did once, but she got it back, right?) Glad to hear that you at least enjoyed it while it lasted, but this chapter, sadly, marks the end of this story._**

**_MileyNick611: Yeah...this one took a little longer to write out, since it was tough for me to develop exactly how I wanted to say what I needed to say. It was tough trying to tame Lilly a bit for this chapter, but I think she calmed down in front of the judge. Ghosts of War (my band) is a thrash metal/death metal band like Slayer or Exodus, so they may not suit people who don't have an adopted ear for the tone. Now, get back to class; my story can wait until afterwards. :)_**

**_CloudGazer15: The characters are an extension of the mind that breathed life into them, and thus the rather contorted images that I've produced of them are extensions of the black clouds roaming amidst my mind's random brain waves and neural processes._**

**_SGM: Accurate character assessments, though Lilly 'doesn't' have any issues in this chapter, other than...well, you'll see. As for the sequel...you, sir, make a very convincing argument. I like your thinking. :D_**

**_desertstormx: Well, then, better get to reading. :)_**

**_Thanks to chaos-no-kyuubi for the +fav. *sigh* It's been a long road trying to construct this thing (well, not so terribly long considering I busted out twenty chapters in a matter of four months or so, whereas some stories take a year or longer to produce). My brain kept finding and spitting out good ideas for plot twists, and I think with one final spin on this chapter, I can finally tie all the knots together and explain some things that were once shadowed. If you're still feeling unsatisfied, or if you've got questions or concerns, feel free to hit me up. I'm not going anywhere, and chances are, I'll be quietly writing some other work that I'll hope to post here or on DeviantArt. And now...the final chapter...of Never. Give. In.  
_**

* * *

Chapter 20: Such Tangled Webs

"He raped her."

"Could you please be a little more specific, for the record?"

Lilly sighed and steepled her fingers together, resting her chin against her thumbs. "You really want to know?"

The lawyer blinked, but nodded. "If you don't mind."

"I have no say in this. It's if Miley's comfortable with it. It's not my story to tell."

He sighed, looking to Miley. Lilly could feel the judge looking at her surreptitiously. Whatever. If Miley said yes, she'd get a story to knock her powdered wig off. If not, then nothing.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Miley nodded, albeit rather tentatively and insecurely.

"Very well. Miss Truscott, please describe what happened from your perspective to the best of your knowledge. Remember that you are under oath."

Lilly sighed. "Yeah, I remember. Alright. Let's see...

"Miley and I have a serious relationship which we are very committed to-"

"A serious relationship? Of what kind?" the lawyer asked.

"Sir, with all due respect, I fail to see the necessity for a question of that sort."

"It is imperative that the court know as many details as possible to deem an accurate judgment of the truth and the lay of blame, Miss Truscott."

"Alright, fine. Just another prick trying to pry. You wanna know? Fine. We're _gay._"

"Gay?"

"Lesbians, dykes, tribbs, whatever else you want to call it. We have an explicit relationship with one another. Satisfied?"

The man looked slightly unnerved. Several people shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Miley gulped and hung her head, looking very red and very shame-faced.

"Please, continue," he stuttered, attempting to swallow.

"Fine. Anyways, we're together. About a month ago, I saw her in the hallway with Jake. He provoked her into saying things that were both hurtful and true."

"What sort of things?"

"Your Honor," Lilly began, trying to control the anger in her voice. "With all due respect, there is no point to revealing that sort of confidential information. It has no relevance to the story."

"Miss Truscott, for the time being, you need not disclose such information. Should the need arise, however, we may have to ask you for closure."

"Alright. Anyways, she said things and we split because I was hurt. About two weeks ago, the night before our final day as sophomores at Seaview High School, I decided to try and make amends with her."

"Make a-"

"Just sit down and wait a minute and I'll get through it all at once!"

The lawyer went silent and leaned back against his table. She huffed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I wanted her back. Everything she said that day was the truth, and I was just having a hard time accepting it. I finally came to terms with it and decided I wanted her back. So, that night, I snuck out of my house without alerting either my parents or Mr. Stewart of my intentions.

"I arrived at her house, which as has been stated is centered in the midst of a neighborhood that is highly territorial and gang-affiliated. I thought it was very unusual that her front door was unlocked and slightly open when I approached, and I immediately deemed something was wrong. I stepped in and went for the kitchen. Nothing but a kitchen knife on the counter, which I picked up as a sort of reassurance for myself.

"The livingroom had a bunch of cards scattered around. Looked to me like they were playing poker or something. Mr. Stewart was asleep in his bedroom. Miley's door was shut. When I touched the handle, my blood went cold. I knew then that something was wrong.

"I opened the door and saw him...on top of her. Use your imagination; I'd rather not explain. But I stepped in and shut the door; they didn't hear, it was too quiet. I thought it was odd that she wasn't moving until he reached out and slapped her. I realized what was going on.

"After that...it's a blur. I threw the knife, then just kinda pummeled him until she pulled me off. The cops were called, I helped her dress, and I was incarcerated for trespassing, regardless of the fact that I saved her from rape."

Lilly fell silent. The courthouse was just as quiet, waiting. Finally, the lawyer coughed.

"When did you, er...assume that the person was the accused?"

"I didn't know who it was until the light came on and Mr. Stewart stood in the doorway, asking what was going on. I saw his face clearly: Jake Ryan."

"How could you tell it was Mr. Ryan?"

Lilly rolled her eyes. "I just said I saw his face, did I not? The guy goes to school with us. He's our age. He's also one of Miley's ex-boyfriends."

"She didn't used to be gay?"

"What's your point?"

The lawyer paused. "Anyways, I'm a bit curious about your incarceration. What happened there, exactly?"'

"Mr. Stewart informed the police that while I was not granted permission to be at the house at that hour, he was very grateful that I saved his daughter from more pain."

"And the police arrested you?"

"On the grounds of breaking and entering, even though the door was unlocked, and trespassing, even though my intentions were good."

"Are you upset about your incarceration?"

Lilly paused, choosing her words carefully. "Nobody wants to get arrested. Nobody ever asks the police to put cuffs on them, even if they're dead wrong or breaking the law. I am upset, yes, but not at Mr. Stewart; he told the truth and said what happened from his point of view. I can't hold my incarceration against him because he was telling the truth. I do wish the police had been a bit more thorough in investigating the events that occurred within the Stewart residence, as they were the body that ultimately decided to arrest me."

"So you're angry with the police?"

"In a sense, yes, I am frustrated. But...technically...they were doing their job."

Lilly looked and felt fairly uncomfortable. Perhaps the lawyer saw; he ceased that thread of questions. "Er, now, how exactly do you know Mr. Ryan?"

"He goes to Seaview with us."

"Do you know him personally?"

"I got to know him more personally than I'd wanted to two weeks ago when I watched him defiling Miley," she growled darkly.

"That's...not-"

"I know what you meant. I knew who he was around school, but I didn't know him face-to-face, in person the way Miley did. They were both into sports and often had to hang out together during practices or games."

"So, the defendant knew Mr. Ryan, then?"

"In a manner of speaking. I believe there was one point where they had been dating, but I can't confirm anything."

"Is there any personal reason for blaming Mr. Ryan?"

Lilly rolled her eyes. "As if fucking my girlfriend without her permission isn't personal enough..."

The judge tapped her gavel in warning. "Miss Truscott, please monitor your language."

"Duly noted. I had no personal reason to blame anything on Jake. What blame he should take is self-induced. He committed the crime. He should do time."

"Then he is without a doubt guilty?"

"No, it was the freaking Easter Bunny that I saw that night. _DUH! _Of _course _he's guilty!"

The lawyer blinked. "And you wouldn't have a motive for pinning the crime on him rather than someone else?"

"Well, considering both Miley and Mr. Stewart have testified that he was, in fact, the rapist, I don't see how anyone else could have committed the crime."

He paused, brows furrowed, touching his finger to his lips as he paced slowly down the courtroom from the witness stand. Lilly nearly let out a sigh. They were nitpicking every detail, trying to get her to slip and break her story, make the truth seem a lie. It wasn't the prosecuting lawyer who was asking the questions, though; he remained seated as he had for most of the trial. The only reason they were on trial was because Jake was attempting to plead 'Not Guilty'. Schmuck.

"Miss Truscott...do you happen to know of a motive that Mr. Ryan could have had?"

"A motive?"

"A reason for wanting to commit such foul acts."

"Hmm...I suppose I could toss out my theories..."

"Please, do."

"Well, one reason could be because he wanted Miley back. Two weeks prior to the incident, he was talking to her in the hall, trying to persuade her to come back. He used her words against her and made her say the things that led to our split. I know he at least harbored interest for Miley, unless he was lying. There's also revenge for her saying 'no' to him in choice of myself. Then there's just because she's an innocent girl and he's a, well, prick, for lack of better word."

The attorney hung his head. "No further questions, Your Honor," he called gently. He sounded defeated.

"Miss Truscott, you may return to your seat."

Lilly did as directed, trying very hard not to let her semi-formal knee-length denim skirt ride up as she walked. She sat beside Miley as quietly as possible and gave her cold, shaking hand a squeeze of reassurance.

"The court would like to call Mr. Jake Ryan to the stand."

The blonde teen took the stand. He looked very nervous.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do."

"Take a seat."

The bailiff moved back to his corner. Jake sat down. He glanced at Lilly and Miley.

"So, Mr. Ryan, how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"And you're a sophomore at Seaview High School, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Jake's answers were short, low, and dejected.

"Why the long face?"

"Because I'm guilty."

"But you're pleading 'Not', right?"

"I was...but now...I can't plead 'Not Guilty' and feel justified. They have a right to know."

"To know what?"

He glared at the lawyer. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Perhaps this isn't the time for this?"

"Sit down," Jake growled. The man complied.

"Miley...You deserve to know why I raped you. My excuse is nothing but an excuse, but it's my own point of view, and thus it's my burden to bear. Miley...I'm gay."

She gasped. Lilly blinked, her eyebrows rising. Collective groans or growls drifted from the table to Lilly's left.

"The whole time we were together, you blamed yourself for why things never worked out. I had to let you do that because I didn't think you'd understand if I told you the truth. I had to play along with it. I didn't want to hurt you, but nothing would have been right for you anymore. When I heard that you got together with Lilly, I felt ashamed that I'd lied to you, that I'd let you lie to yourself about who you were. You had every right to follow your happiness, and my selfishness and want of being normal stopped you from having that. Then I broke you both up, and I felt even worse because I'd once again stepped in the middle of your happiness, but I felt like maybe I had a chance to prove to myself that I was straight. That's why I was at your house two weeks ago: I was trying to convince us both that I was straight. To be honest...I hated every minute of it. And when I struck you...I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at myself. I didn't know what to do. I kept going, trying to convince myself, until that knife hit me in the back of the head. I don't remember anything after that...but I know that I woke up with a robe around my body and cuffs on my wrists, with aches everywhere and a broken nose. I wish I could take it all back, Miley...I should have told you what was really going on instead of trying to prove to myself that I was different. I...I hurt you..."

He hung his head. Lilly watched out the corner of her eye as Miley gently touched the still-fading bruise on her cheek. She could almost feel her blonde hair catching fire as her anger exploded within her body. She was ready to kill the boy before her.

Miley squeezed her hand. The bomb diffused. Lilly slumped backwards in her seat, Miley following suit.

"So...that's it, then?" Lilly called. "You're turning yourself in?"

Jake nodded. "I can't apologize and reconcile with myself over this...you wouldn't accept it, and it wouldn't mean anything to me because it might not mean anything at all. Actions speak louder than words, and...mine have been screaming for a good long while now. I just refused to accept how I felt."

"Mr. Ryan," the judge spoke quietly. "Why did you feel the need to reveal all of this information?"

He sighed. "First...I'm under oath. I'm a sinner, and I'm definitely going to hell, but...I do believe in God and the power he has. Second...Miley had a right to know. I've hurt her beyond what I know, beyond what I could ever imagine, and I've no way of taking the pain back."

The woman nodded. "Then what would a fitting punishment be?"

Lilly never wanted to see the boy ever again. She couldn't read Miley, so well constructed was her facade.

"I...I'll take what I'm given. I'll need a long time to think about what I've done."

It seemed to stun everyone that the boy had defiled a person but was acting mature and sophisticated. He sighed again.

"Well, then, you'll be given ninety days in juvenile hall as a minimum. Privileges will be at a bare minimum; you'll be lucky to breathe without permission. After that, you have another twenty-four months of community service ahead of you, which should keep you out of trouble long enough to complete your senior year of high school. Do we have an understanding?"

"A perfect understanding, Your Honor," he said resignedly.

"Sentenced." She banged her gavel. "Court adjourned."

People immediately began filing out. Lilly stood, noticing immediately that Miley did not.

"Miley?"

The brunette looked up at her.

"Are you alright?"

She blinked twice. "Seeing him...so humble...so destroyed...made me realize everything that's happened this past year. It's been one hell of a ride, Lilly, and if there's one thing that scares me to no end...it's losing you."

The blonde blinked down. "Miley, you will never lose me. I'm not going anywhere."

"But what if something like this happens again?"

"Miley...with how strong you've been...how brave...how dignified, even while deathly afraid inside...this has all made me realize that I can't take you for granted. You're all I've got, really, and I realize now that I love you more with every passing day. I'm not going anywhere because I never want this to end. I love you with all my heart, Miley Stewart."

The brunette stood, gazing levelly at Lilly, eyes sparkling and shining with unshed tears. "And I love you, Lilly Truscott, with every fiber of my body."

The kiss that they shared was not one of passion or of lust, but one of pure, unaltered love, and as their tears raced down their cheeks and their arms caressed each others' backs, they both knew, accepted, and believed without question or doubt that they were truly in love with one another, and that nothing could ever tear them apart.

* * *

**_I had wondered if the ending was too shallow or otherwise, but...this is the end. The first complete work I've ever posted on FFn. I've gotta say, I'm gonna miss it. But, hey, if I decide to do the sequel, which I may HAVE to do since I've got tons of ideas for it, there might be a bit of a different take on story-writing. It'll be very interesting, that's for sure. Thanks to everyone who stuck through to the end, even during my dry patch for the past month or two, and I really appreciate everything you guys have had to say, even some of the not-so-nice things that were said. I love all you guys, and I hope you'll keep reading the Liley stories that so many talented authors continue to write, no matter how small and humble or large and expansive. ~Kyttin_**


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